A US congressional delegation led by Representative Ro Khanna was temporarily blocked by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the destroyed Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta in the southern West Bank, triggering an exchange of conflicting accounts between Washington and Jerusalem and sharpening Democratic criticism of Israeli military conduct. Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California, said settlers brandishing American-made M4 rifles surrounded his van and refused to let him leave, and that when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers arrived they sided with the settlers, prolonging the detention. He later accused the Israeli government of lying to cover up the soldiers’ actions and called for their arrest.

The IDF presented a markedly different version. It acknowledged receiving a report of settlers blocking vehicles carrying foreign nationals and said its troops dispersed the civilians quickly, reopening the road. Military sources insisted no senior officers were present and that soldiers did not take part in any restriction of movement. An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government opposes vigilante actions and noted that the vast majority of settlers are law-abiding, while stressing that anyone who breaks the law is prosecuted. Police said no formal complaint had been lodged that would allow arrests.

Viewed from Washington, the incident underscores a deepening rift between parts of the Democratic Party and the Israeli government. Khanna, who has co-sponsored legislation to block arms sales to Israel over its Gaza operations, returned from the trip declaring he would broadcast Palestinian experiences of occupation and that the experience had reinforced his interest in a 2028 presidential bid. His visit followed a high-profile speech in Tel Aviv by former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, who also criticised Israeli policies—a pattern that analysts in the Middle East interpret as evidence that traditional pro-Israel orthodoxy is weakening among Democratic contenders. According to Israeli political analysts, the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican champion of Israel, has symbolised a generational shift in US legislative backing for the country.

The West Bank episode has already drawn calls from some US legislators for a review of security protocols for official visits to the territories, alongside renewed demands for accountability over settler violence. Palestinian officials, with whom Khanna met, framed his experience as routine for Palestinians living under occupation. The IDF has classified the initial settler blockade as a serious operational failure and indicated it expects to make arrests once suspects are identified. The incident is likely to feature prominently in upcoming congressional hearings on US military assistance to Israel, scheduled for later this month.