US Airman Sets Self on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy
A US Air Force active member burned himself alive outside the Israeli embassy in Washington on Sunday, officials say.
Media reports suggested the man was demonstrating against the conflict in Gaza.
Based on the message posted on X, the previous Twitter platform, by the fire service of the capital, emergency personnel were summoned to the scene shortly before 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in response to a “call for person on fire outside the Israeli Embassy.”
When they got there, they discovered that the fire had already been put out by agents of the Secret Service, a US law enforcement organization entrusted with guarding visiting heads of state and other influential Americans.
According to the fire department, the man had “critical life-threatening injuries” and was taken to the hospital. He is an active member of the Air Force, an Air Force spokeswoman told AFP, but they did not provide any more information.
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An Israeli embassy spokesman said ‘the man was “unknown” to them, and there were no staff injuries in the event. The man reportedly livestreamed himself on Twitch while donning fatigues and vowed to “not be complicit in genocide,” according to US media, before dousing himself with liquid. Then, as he was screaming, “Free Palestine!” he set himself on fire and collapsed to the ground.
The video was taken down from Twitch, according to the New York Times, although AFP was unable to confirm this right away.
The terrible incident occurred at a time when anti-Israel protests in the US are growing in number. Israel is waging a retaliatory war in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
According to the health ministry administered by Hamas in Gaza, the number of deaths there has approached 30,000. As a result, there has been growing international pressure on the US to rein in its partner Israel and demand a ceasefire.
