US Air Force Member Set Himself On Fire Outside Israel Embassy (Image: Pixabay)

A member of US Air Force set himself on fire in protest against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The incident took place on Sunday outside Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. He is said to be in critical condition now. The man apparently said, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide [in Gaza]. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest”. He kept on shouting “Free Palestine”.

A video of the incident livestreamed on Twitch showed the Air Force member in uniform standing in front of the embassy gate. New York Times and Washington Post, citing officials, confirmed the man to be member of Air Force.

The name of the man was not shared publicly. However, the name that the man used in the video matches the LinkedIn profile of an active-duty Air Force from Texas, said the Times. Task & Purpose said that Air Force spokesperson confirmed about the man being an active-duty airman. Nothing about the man’s identity or rank in the military was confirmed by the US Air Force.

Independent journalist Talia Jane obtained the video of the man on fire. The disturbing was taken down on the platform as it violated the streaming app’s guidelines. Jane reported that the man said, he was “an active-duty member of the US Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide”. Filming himself walking, was heard as saying that he was going to do what would be minimal in comparison to what is happening to Palestinians. He set himself on fire and repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine”.

Authorities at the scene was heard as asking “May I help you, sir?”, and shouting the man to get down to the ground while he was on fire. One person sprayed the fire extinguisher on the man. First responders to the scene were dispatched to the scene about 1 pm, said spokesperson from District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. By the time the first responders arrived, the flames had extinguished.