Ro Khanna says Israeli settlers blocked his convoy for an hour in West Bank as IDF watched
Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 11, 2026
When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention.
They made a huge mistake.
You will be hearing more soon. https://t.co/rZw8bRAn64 pic.twitter.com/4z50Ye4I7K
WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has said he was detained by Israeli settlers for more than an hour while traveling through the occupied West Bank, in an incident that has renewed attention on escalating tensions and settler violence in the territory.
Khanna's account was first reported by The New York Times. A spokesperson for the California congressman confirmed the details of the report to CBS News, while the newspaper said one of its photojournalists witnessed the encounter.
Ro Khanna recounts West Bank standoff
According to Khanna, a group of Israeli settlers blocked his convoy during the visit, preventing it from moving for over an hour.
He also alleged that members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spoke with the settlers during the standoff and moved a vehicle to further block the road.
Khanna is among several American lawmakers who have traveled to the West Bank since the war began following the October 7, 2023, attack.
In September 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the region and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley toured the territory the previous month.
The latest incident comes amid heightened international concern over security in the West Bank.
In May 2025, several countries that have supported Israel criticized the IDF after soldiers fired what they described as "warning shots" near a diplomatic delegation that included representatives from the European Union, Japan and Russia.
The Israeli military said the delegation had strayed from an approved route and entered a restricted area.
Settler violence faces scrutiny in West Bank
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since the start of the Gaza war. The United Nations says more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 2023.
Palestinian residents and Israeli human rights activists have also reported a sharp rise in attacks by Israeli settlers, with some communities allegedly forced to leave their homes and land.
According to Israeli rights organization Yesh Din, fewer than 1% of 2,427 complaints alleging wrongdoing by Israeli soldiers between 2016 and 2024 resulted in indictments.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United Nations considers the settlements illegal under international law, a position rejected by Israel.
Several Western allies have imposed sanctions on Israeli officials accused of inciting settler violence, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for those sanctions to be reversed.
