U.S. congressman accuses Israeli military of lying about West Bank detention

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna said the Israel Defense Forces lied about the handling of his convoy during a visit to the West Bank. The California Democrat stated that armed settlers and soldiers blocked the road near Zanuta for roughly 20 minutes on Wednesday.

Khanna described settlers brandishing rifles, kicking vehicle tires, and laughing at the group. He said four Israeli soldiers later arrived and told the group's translator they were on the side of the settlers.

Israeli response Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Leiter, said Khanna had rejected an offer to meet former hostages and instead worked with an Israeli human rights group. Leiter suggested the timing of the video release on Saturday was intended to distract from Khanna's prior support for Graham Platner.

Khanna replied on social media that he had already met Israeli hostages and condemned the October 7, 2023 attacks. He called for investigations into the settlers and the four soldiers involved.

Supporting account Nadav Weiman, director of the group that accompanied Khanna, wrote that armed settlers arrived first and soldiers joined them. Weiman said the delegation was detained for more than an hour. Khanna's aide, Cameron Kasky, posted video of the incident on social media.

Every Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is considered illegal under international law.