An unsettling event unfolded on February 25th in Washington, DC, as a member of the US Air Force took drastic action in front of the Israeli embassy, setting himself on fire. The disturbing incident was captured in a video streamed live on Twitch. In the footage, the individual, clad in his military uniform, stands near the embassy’s front gate as flames engulf him. US Secret Service officers swiftly intervened, extinguishing the fire, before the man was transported to a nearby hospital. Multiple US officials, including an Air Force spokesperson, confirmed his identity as an active-duty airman.
According to a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police Department, the man remains in critical condition, with local law enforcement and the Secret Service conducting investigations into the matter.
The video, which depicted the self-immolation, was subsequently removed from Twitch for violating the platform’s guidelines. It was the sole video on the account and featured a Palestinian flag in its header image. The New York Times reported that prior to igniting himself, the man, identified as a member of the US Air Force, declared, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide [in Gaza]. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” while shouting “Free Palestine.”
Although the man’s identity has not been officially confirmed, the New York Times noted similarities between the individual in the video and an active-duty Air Force officer’s LinkedIn account. Authorities in the video can be seen urging him to comply and lie down, while they attempt to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher.
Fortunately, no embassy staff were harmed during the incident. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first instance of the Israeli embassy being targeted amid the conflict in Gaza.