(Washington) An active member of the US Air Force was seriously injured on Sunday after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, went to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. and began broadcasting live on the streaming platform Twitch, the person detailed. Law enforcement believes the man started a live stream, put his phone down, then doused himself in accelerant and started the fire. At one point, the source reported, the man said he “would no longer be complicit in the genocide.” The video was later removed from the platform, but authorities obtained a copy and reviewed it.
The source was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Police did not immediately provide additional details about the case.
The incident occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gaza town of Rafah amid a ceasefire agreement. temporary was under negotiation. The Israeli military offensive in Gaza, however, has drawn criticism, including allegations of genocide against the Palestinians.
Israel has categorically denied allegations of genocide and says it is operating in accordance with international law in the war between Israel and Hamas.
In December, a person set himself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and used gasoline as an accelerant, according to the Atlanta Fire Department. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and the act was considered an act of “extreme political protest.”
In a statement, the Washington Metropolitan Police said its officers responded to the scene outside the Israeli embassy to assist U.S. Secret Service agents and that its bomb squad was also called to examine a suspicious vehicle. Police said no hazardous materials were found in the vehicle.