California Democrat Ro Khanna said the Israeli military misrepresented its account of a detention that occurred Wednesday when armed Israeli settlers blocked his convoy in the South Hebron hills near the village of Zanuta, holding him for about 20 minutes.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, and rights groups have documented patterns of settler violence aimed at displacing Palestinians.

Khanna said the settlers brandished M4 rifles, mocked his group, and filmed the encounter while Israeli soldiers later detained him and blocked the road, stating they were on the side of the settlers. Israeli officials responded that Khanna declined assistance in planning his visit and that he sought a headline rather than a factual assessment, a claim echoed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the settlers involved as a small group of juvenile delinquents not representative of law‑abiding settlers. Netanyahu also called for an investigation into four IDF officers, saying security cameras show their involvement in the detention of American citizens.

Israeli ambassador Michael Leiter accused Khanna of staging a political stunt, suggesting the visit was intended to distract from his past support of former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and to promote a potential 2028 presidential run, while noting Khanna bypassed government‑planned arrangements and worked with the human‑rights group Breaking the Silence. Nadav Weiman, director of Breaking the Silence, said armed settlers arrived first and Israeli soldiers later detained the delegation for over an hour, asserting that the IDF misrepresented the event. Khanna’s aide Cameron Kasky posted video of the incident on social media, documenting the confrontation.

The differing accounts underscore the ongoing dispute between U.S. legislators and Israeli authorities regarding settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, with no official investigation publicly released at this time.