An active member of the US Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington on Sunday, officials said, as media reported he was protesting the conflict in Gaza, AFP reports.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene just before 1:00 pm in response to a “call for person on fire outside the Israeli Embassy,” according to a message on X, formerly Twitter, by the capital’s fire department.

They arrived to find that officers from the Secret Service — the US law enforcement agency tasked with protecting US political leaders, visiting heads of state and others — had already extinguished the fire.

The man was transported to hospital with “critical life threatening injuries,” the fire department said.

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed to AFP that he was an active member of the Air Force, but gave no further details.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy said no staff were injured in the incident, and that the man was “unknown” to them.

US media reported that the man apparently livestreamed himself on Twitch, wearing fatigues and declaring he will “not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself in liquid.

He then lit himself on fire while yelling “Free Palestine!” until he fell on the ground.

AFP has been unable to immediately verify the footage, with the New York Times reporting that it was removed from Twitch.

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...