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WASHINGTON: An active-duty member of the United States (US) military set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC in an apparent protest against Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, officials said.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a hospital on Sunday with “critical life-threatening injuries,” the US Capital Fire Department said.
The agency said rescuers rushed to the scene just before 13:00 (18:00 GMT) in response to a “call about a fire in front of the Israeli embassy”.
They arrived to find that US Secret Service officers had already extinguished the fire.
The US Air Force said the incident involved an active-duty airman.
US media reported that the man streamed live on Twitch, wearing camouflage and declaring that he would “not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself with the liquid.
He then set himself on fire, shouting “Free Palestine!” until he fell to the ground.
The recording was later removed from Twitch. Local police said they were investigating the incident.
Police also said an explosives disposal was requested at the scene in connection with a suspicious vehicle that may be linked to the person. He later said no hazardous material was found.
The Israeli embassy said none of its staff were injured and all employees were confirmed safe, a spokesman told the New York Times.
The Israeli embassy is the target of ongoing protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The protests began after Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and took 253 hostages in a cross-border attack on October 7.
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