IDF Refutes Claims of Blocking US Delegation, Says Soldiers Cleared Road

The Israeli Defense Forces issued a statement on July 12 countering the allegations made by U.S. Congressman Roh Khanna regarding an incident in the West Bank. According to the IDF, soldiers were dispatched to the location immediately after the report of a road blockage. Upon arrival, the troops removed the Israeli civilians who had been obstructing the convoy and reopened the thoroughfare for the American delegation.

The military emphasized that its personnel did not participate in detaining or harassing the U.S. citizens and that any delays were caused solely by the actions of the armed civilians. The IDF also noted that security cameras would corroborate their version of events, showing that the soldiers acted swiftly to restore normal traffic flow.

Khanna, however, dismissed the statement as a false narrative, insisting that the footage would instead prove that IDF soldiers kept the delegation detained and failed to act against the aggressors. He continues to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a formal inquiry into the incident, calling the experience an unprecedented breach of safety for American passport holders.