Protester sets self on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington DC

An active member of the United States military has set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, in an apparent act of protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. 

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday, Feb. 25, with “critical life-threatening injuries”, according to the US capital’s fire department.

The agency said emergency responders rushed to the scene just before 1pm in response to a “call for person on fire outside the Israeli embassy”. They arrived to find that officers from the US Secret Service had already extinguished the fire. 

The man livestreamed himself on Twitch, wearing military fatigues and declaring he would “not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself in liquid. He then lit himself on fire while yelling “Free Palestine!” until he fell to the ground. The footage has since been removed from Twitch. 

Pictures of the protester have been circulating online in the middle of his act of self-immolation.

The Israeli embassy said that none of its staff members were injured, and all personnel have been confirmed to be safe, a spokesperson told the New York Times.

Local police said they are investigating the incident.

See a video of the aftermath below.