US Air Force Member Burns Himself In Front Of Israeli Embassy, Protests Gaza War

WHO/Christopher Black DOC ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - An active member of the United States Air Force set himself on fire on Sunday (25/2) in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC as a form of protest against the war in Gaza, according to several news reports.

The fire was then extinguished by members of the Secret Service, and then the man was rushed to a local hospital because of a " life-threatening critical injury," DC Department of Emergency Medical Services and Fire Department reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, February 26.

Several reports citing the live broadcast of the incident said the man shouted "Free Palestine" while setting himself on fire.

The Washington Post quoted Air Force spokesman Rose M. Riley, as confirming that "an active pilot was involved in today's incident."

In a video broadcast live by the Twitter platform that was later removed, the man is said to have "not to be involved in genocide again" referring to the killing by Israel in Gaza since October.

He also reportedly said "I will carry out extreme protests."

Sementara pihak berwenang mengatakan bahwa penyelidikan sedang berlangsung.

Earlier in December, a man set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia in protest at an Israeli attack on Gaza.

Israel has launched a deadly attack on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian Hamas group on October 7, killing more than 29,690 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of material needs, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The war caused 85 percent of the population in the region to flee amid food shortages, clean water and medicines, while 60 percent of infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

Regarding the genocide lawsuit at the International Court. The court issued a temporary decision in January ordering Tel Aviv to stop genocide and ensure that humanitarian aid is provided to civilians in Gaza.

However, hostilities continue and aid deliveries are still not enough to contain the humanitarian disaster.