Conflicts & War

US soldier sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington

Washington, Feb 26 (EFE).- An active member of the United States Air Force set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, which left him in critical condition, according to the Metropolitan police and emergency services.

In a video circulating on social media, the soldier in a military uniform can be seen spraying himself with a flammable liquid and becoming engulfed in flames while shouting “Free Palestine” in front of the embassy.

“I am an active duty member of the US Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” said the man in the video, adding that he wanted to resort to this type of “extreme protest” against the conflict in Gaza, which erupted on Oct. 7.

Members of law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the incident on Sunday afternoon, the Washington Metropolitan Police said.

The man was rushed to the hospital with “critical” injuries while an explosives unit was deployed to examine a suspicious car, which ultimately posed no threat, the fire brigade and emergency services said.

The Air Force confirmed that one of its members had been involved in the incident but did not provide further details.

Protests against the Israeli response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on its territory have spread throughout the US with the common demand for a ceasefire in light of the number of civilian victims in this densely populated enclave. EFE

jmr/am/pd

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