WASHINGTON — An active-duty U.S. Air Force member was seriously injured Sunday after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” a person familiar with the matter said. the case to the Associated Press. .
The man, whose name was not immediately released, walked to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, the person said. Law enforcement officials believe the man started a livestream, put down his phone, then doused himself with gas and ignited the flames. At one point he said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the person said. The video was later removed from the platform, but law enforcement officials obtained and reviewed a copy.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Police could not immediately provide further details about the incident.
The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah while a temporary ceasefire was being negotiated. However, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has sparked criticism, including claims of genocide against the Palestinians.
Israel has firmly denied accusations of genocide and says it is conducting operations in accordance with international law in the war between Israel and Hamas.
According to the Atlanta Fire Department, someone set themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta in December using gasoline as an accelerant. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene and the act was believed to be a form of “extreme political protest.”
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington said its officers responded to the scene outside the Israeli embassy to assist U.S. Secret Service officers and that the bomb squad had also been called to investigate a suspicious vehicle. According to the police, no dangerous substances were found in the car.