US Airman Sets Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Washington

An active-duty troop of the US Air Force lit himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on Sunday and is now in critical condition, according to the US Air Force and local police.  

D.C. Fire and EMS said units responded right before 1 p.m. on Sunday to help assist the U.S. Secret Service, and discovered an adult man, whose name has not been immediately released, with severe burn injuries in front of the embassy. The embassy is located in the 3500 block of International Drive in northwest Washington, D.C.  

The fire was extinguished by the U.S. Secret Service before firefighting crews arrived, fire and EMS authorities said. Secret Service had responded to a call regarding an individual that was experiencing a possible medical/mental health emergency. 

The man was transported to a local hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries from the burns. 

The D.C. police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was also called to the scene in search of a suspicious vehicle that “may have been connected to the individual”.  The vehicle was later cleared after no hazardous materials were found on the scene, police said. 

The incident occurred when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking cabinet approval for a new military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah while a temporary ceasefire deal was under negotiation.  

Last December, a person set themselves on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, in an extreme act of political protest. A Palestinian flag used in the protest was found and recovered at the scene, and gasoline was used to help accelerate the burning, police and fire reporters told the press at a news conference.  

Israeli embassies in different countries have become hotspots for protests against the Israeli war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in the city of Gaza. The war has killed over twenty nine thousand people, some of whom are civilians, since early October. Israel declared war against Hamas after the surprise October 7th assault against Israel that killed twelve hundred people and led to the capture of two hundred and fifty hostages.