A man set himself on fire this Sunday in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, and suffered severe burns that endanger his life and is now in critical condition in a local hospital, authorities reported.
City firefighters and paramedics responded at 12:58 pm to a call alerting of a person on fire in front of the embassy, located in the 3500 block of International Drive, northwest, in the North Cleveland Park neighborhood.
When Secret Service agents arrived at the scene, emergency services had already extinguished the fire, but they found an adult man with "critical, life-threatening injuries," the emergency service reported.
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Washington police reported that the individual was taken to "a local hospital where he remains in critical condition," but did not offer details about the hospital to which he was taken.
A video circulating on social media appears to show the man dressed in a military uniform, engulfed in flames while shouting "Free Palestine" in front of the Israeli headquarters.
Police officers in the area where a man set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC this Sunday, February 25. Celal Gunes/Anadolu / Getty
According to The Washington Post, the man said he was an active-duty member of the United States Air Force.
But Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told the capital newspaper that they had not yet identified him or verified whether he is really part of the military service.
Explosives specialists were also sent to the scene to investigate the presence of a suspicious vehicle that could be connected to the man who set himself on fire.
Shortly before 5:00 p.m. police reported that the vehicle had been removed and that "no hazardous materials were found."
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The metropolitan police and federal authorities are now investigating the motives of the man, whose identity has not been revealed, for setting himself on fire in front of the diplomatic headquarters.
The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that it does not know the man's identity and reported that no Embassy staff were injured.
Photographs and videos taken in the area showed a heavy police presence in the area after the event.
Police officers guard the scene where a man set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC on February 25, 2024. Celal Gunes/Anadolu / Getty
The event occurs almost five months after the war between Israel and the radical Palestinian group Hamas began, which has cost the lives of nearly 30,000 people in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health in that territory.
For its part, Israel has reported that some 1,200 people were killed by Hamas during its October 7 attack and 240 soldiers have since lost their lives.