US military serviceman sets self ablaze in bold protest against Israeli war on Gaza
In a rare tragic protest, an active member of the United States military has set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, according to officials, to show his dislike for Israel’s destructive war on Gaza.
The man, whose details have not been released, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday with “critical life-threatening injuries,” according to the US capital’s fire department.
The fire had already been extinguished by the US Secret Service before the eventual arrival of emergency responders.
Earlier, the US Air Force confirmed that the incident involved an active-duty officer.
Reports from the United States indicated that he live-streamed himself on social media wearing fatigues and declaring he would “not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself in liquid.
He then set himself on fire while shouting “Free Palestine!” until he fell to the ground.
The Israeli embassy said none of its staff members were affected by the incident.
Rallies at its embassies have been frequent since the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis.
In retaliation, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, reducing much of it to waste, with nearly 30,000 people dead and several others injured, according to Palestinian health officials.
A similar incident occurred in December when a pro-Palestine protestor set themselves ablaze outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta.
The city’s police chief, Darin Schierbaum, described the incident as an ‘extreme act of political protest,’ and said a Palestinian flag was recovered from the scene.
