Authorities say a man is in critical condition after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, the Guardian reported.
The Metropolitan Police said they responded to an incident on International Drive around 1:00 p.m. local time to assist the Secret Service. The fire and emergency services said the man suffered serious burn injuries.
"An elderly male was transported by Washington Fire and EMS [emergency medical services] to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition," the police department said on Twitter/X.
According to multiple officials, a video posted online showing a man in uniform shouting "Free Palestine" while burning and also identifying himself as an active member of the US Air Force appears to be the man from the incident, reports " The Washington Post". An Air Force spokesman told The Washington Post that they have not identified the man, who reportedly burned for about a minute before law enforcement extinguished it.
Police said an explosive ordnance disposal team was also called to the scene in connection with a suspicious vehicle that may be connected to the individual. She later reported that no hazardous materials were found in it.
The Israeli embassy said none of its staff were injured.
The embassy is at the center of protests by pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for an end to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, where the death toll is likely to exceed 30,000 this week.
Since October, Israeli strikes have killed 29,692 Palestinians in Gaza, two-thirds of them women and children, and wounded 69,879, according to Gaza health authorities. The offensive followed cross-border attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages./BGNES
