US Rep. Ro Khanna says armed Israeli settlers held his delegation in West Bank village

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California said he and his delegation were detained by armed Israeli settlers carrying U.S.-made M-4 rifles during a visit to a village in the southern West Bank. Speaking to Reuters, Khanna said a van carrying the group was surrounded and blocked by the armed civilians while they were touring a village whose structures, including a school, had previously been demolished by Israeli settlers. Aide Cameron Kasky said the Americans were held for more than an hour and that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was contacted for assistance. Khanna did not specify the exact location of the incident, and no further details on conditions in the village were immediately available. The Israeli military said troops and police were sent to the area of Khirbet Zanuta, a village in the Hizma municipality, after a report that settlers had closed a road there. Once forces arrived, the military added, the Israeli civilians were dispersed and the vehicles were permitted to continue on their way. Khanna's account comes amid continued debate within the U.S. Democratic Party over Israeli policies toward Palestinians.