Rep. Ro Khanna says Israeli settlers and IDF soldiers blockaded him in the West Bank for over an hour

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna said he was detained for more than an hour during a trip to the occupied West Bank last week, describing an incident in which he said Israeli settlers blocked his group’s vehicle. Khanna alleged that the settlers were armed with M-4 rifles and that they called in the IDF, which he said arrived and—at least initially—sided with the settlers by blocking the exit for his party.

Khanna’s representatives said the group was held while appeals were made to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, and that officers—described as police in Khanna’s account—eventually intervened and allowed the group to proceed. In accounts reported by multiple outlets, Khanna characterized the interaction as alarming given that he was an American member of Congress. The IDF disputed parts of Khanna’s account. In a statement reported by outlets covering the incident, the IDF said it received a report that Israeli civilians were blocking foreign nationals and media near Khirbet Zanuta, and that IDF forces were dispatched to the scene to disperse the civilians and reopen the blocked road. The IDF said the soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road.