A US Air Force officer has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC.
The man was reportedly filmed standing outside the building wearing a military uniform and shouting ‘‘Free Palestine’’ as he burned.
The name the protester used to identify himself in the video matches a LinkedIn profile for an active-duty officer who is usually based in Texas, the New York Times reported.
Rose Riley, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, later confirmed to the Washington Post that the incident involved an active duty airman.
Firefighters and US secret service officers were called to the scene in northwest Washington at around 1pm Eastern Time on Sunday.
A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy said the man had “set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington and was taken to the hospital by ambulance”.
“The man is unknown,” the spokesman said. “No Embassy staff were injured and are safe.”
The embassy has seen months of protests following the Israeli military response in Gaza to a terror attack by Hamas on October 7.
However, The Telegraph understands the man was not carrying a placard or sign.
One eyewitness told The Telegraph he was “mumbling something” in the moments before he set himself on fire. “He didn’t arrive with any signs or banners or anything,” they said.
A spokesman for the US Secret Service said: “The US Secret Service, Uniformed Division responded to the 3400 Block of International Drive, NW, DC regarding an individual that was experiencing a possible medical/mental health emergency.
“DC Fire & EMS responded to the scene and treated the individual prior to transport to an area hospital.”
Since the outbreak of war in Gaza last year, the US capital has seen regular organised and informal protests outside the Israeli embassy and White House.
In December, police in Atlanta confirmed a man had engaged in an “extreme act of political protest” when he set himself on fire outside that city’s Consulate General of Israel.
Officials said at the time that a Palestinian flag was recovered from the scene and that a security guard was also injured when he tried to help the protester.
A March for Israel and March for Gaza in November and January respectively brought thousands to Washington to protest against the actions of Hamas and the Israeli military.
Footage posted on social media on Sunday showed several police and fire vehicles gathered outside the Israeli embassy, where the lawn has been decorated with Israeli flags.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
