A disturbing incident unfolded Sunday when an active-duty U.S. Air Force member committed suicide by lighting himself on fire in front of Israel’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
The man declared in a video that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide” and screamed “Free Palestine” after setting himself on fire.
Before self-immolating, the man began live-streaming on the video service Twitch and then walked to the embassy building shortly before 1 p.m.
Law enforcement said he started broadcasting, put down the phone, doused himself with accelerant, then set himself on fire. Officials claim to be reviewing a copy of the video, which has been circulating online.
Because of the extreme graphic nature of the video, The Horn News editorial team has chosen not to repost the footage here.
The man died of his injuries early Monday, hospital authorities announced.
The shocking act comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Israeli cabinet to approve an offensive in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
As Middle East military operations continue targeting Islamic terrorists, they often kill Gazan civilians, including women and children. Hamas continues to hold over a hundreds Israeli citizens hostage, and their use of human shields is well documented.
While independent reports refute the charges of genocide in the ongoing war, the self-immolation represents a sign of the strong views of the Israeli offensive.
A similar incident occurred in December at Israel’s consulate in Atlanta. Outside the building, a person self-immolated with gasoline, and investigators found a Palestinian flag among the remnants. The act has been described as one of “extreme political protest.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.