Authorities reported that a man, identified as a US Air Force member, was critically injured after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the incident occurred around 1 pm on Sunday on International Drive, prompting a response from both local police and the Secret Service. Fire and emergency services attended to the man, who sustained serious burns.
“An adult male was transported by DC Fire and EMS [Emergency Medical Services] to a local hospital where they remain in critical condition,” the police department reported on Twitter/X.
A video shared online depicted a man in uniform shouting “Free Palestine” as he burned, identifying himself as an active Air Force member. Law enforcement intervened after approximately a minute, extinguishing the flames.
The unnamed man approached the embassy and commenced livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press. After setting his phone down, he proceeded to douse himself in a flammable fluid and ignite it, stating at one point that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the source informed AP. The video was subsequently removed from the streaming platform.
An Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the man was an active member but provided no further details. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy stated that no staff were injured, and the man was “unknown” to them.
The police called in an explosive ordinance disposal unit to investigate a suspicious vehicle possibly linked to the individual. Fortunately, no hazardous materials were found.
The embassy has attracted attention from pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding a ceasefire to the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza. The death toll from the ongoing conflict is expected to surpass 30,000 this week. The Israeli offensive in Gaza was prompted by cross-border attacks by Hamas on October 7th, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 200 people being taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health service, Israeli strikes in Gaza since October have resulted in the deaths of 29,692 Palestinians, with two-thirds of them being women and children. Additionally, 69,879 individuals have been injured in these attacks.
