On July 8, 2026, U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) reported being held and detained for roughly 60 to 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the occupied West Bank. Khanna and his congressional delegation were visiting the site when masked Israeli settlers armed with U.S.-made M4 rifles blocked their vehicles and refused to let them leave. The confrontation occurred in Khirbet Zanuta, a Bedouin village in the southern West Bank whose residents were displaced following settler violence. Khanna stated that when Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, they initially backed the settlers and blocked the convoy's exit rather than intervening on behalf of the American delegation.

Khanna said the incident gave him a firsthand sense of the powerlessness experienced by Palestinians under occupation. His group was eventually able to leave after contacting the US embassy and Israeli police. The Israeli military said troops and police responded to a report of settlers obstructing vehicles.

The delegation was freed after contacting the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli police, who dispatched officers to clear the road.

IDF Response:

The Israeli military issued a statement acknowledging that troops responded to a report of blocked vehicles in Khirbet Zanuta, stating soldiers dispersed the civilians to allow the convoy to proceed and denying that the IDF took part in detaining the delegation.