US Democrat Ro Khanna says he was detained by armed Israeli settlers
US Congressman Ro Khanna reported being detained for 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the occupied West Bank. Khanna claims the IDF arrived but sided with the settlers, while the Israeli military stated they intervened to disperse the civilians.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the West Bank and raises questions about the safety of US officials in the region.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Dan Sales Reuters Ro Khanna pictured during a visit to Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Thursday US congressman Ro Khanna says he was detained for 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the occupied West Bank.
Khanna, 49, had been in a van with his team when they were surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles on Wednesday, he told Reuters news agency.
Writing on X, Khanna said that when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) arrived, "they sided with the settlers and continued our detention".
The BBC has reached out to the IDF for comment. The Israeli military said in a statement troops and police officers took action after getting a report settlers had blocked vehicles in the area.
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