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US airman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington

Members of the US Secret Service uniformed division block access to a street leading to the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC on Feb. 25, 2024. A man reportedly set himself on fire near the embassy on Sunday afternoon. (AFP)
Members of the US Secret Service uniformed division block access to a street leading to the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC on Feb. 25, 2024. A man reportedly set himself on fire near the embassy on Sunday afternoon. (AFP)
A supporter of Israel is draped in an Israeli flag in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. (File/AFP)
A supporter of Israel is draped in an Israeli flag in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. (File/AFP)
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26 Feb 2024 02:02:15 GMT9
26 Feb 2024 02:02:15 GMT9
  • “I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the man said in a video he broadcasted live over the Internet
  • In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

WASHINGTON: A US military service member set himself on fire, in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza, outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The man was transported to an area hospital after the fire was put out by US Secret Service officers, DC Fire and EMS posted online. The man remains in critical condition, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said Sunday afternoon. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed that the incident involved an active duty airman.

“I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” said the man, wearing military fatigues, in a video he broadcasted live over the Internet, according to the New York Times.

He then doused himself in a clear liquid and set himself on fire, screaming “Free Palestine,” the Times reported.
Local police and Secret Service are investigating the incident.

Israel’s embassy has been the target of continued protest against the war in Gaza. The war in Gaza has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States. The protests started after Oct. 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.

Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, laying much of it to waste, with nearly 30,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.

In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

Reuters

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