US airman dead after self-immolating outside Israeli embassy

Israeli flags are placed around pictures of hostages in Gaza, at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, on Feb 26,//AFP

Washington, United States – A US airman has died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington at the weekend in protest over the war in Gaza, the Air Force said Monday.

The shocking act was an escalation of recent protests across the United States against Israel’s actions in Gaza, where with US support it is waging a retaliatory war for an attack on October 7 by Hamas militants.

Emergency responders on Sunday had rushed to the scene in response to a “call for person on fire outside the Israeli Embassy,” the capital city’s fire department said.

The unnamed man had filmed himself shouting “Free Palestine” as he lit himself on fire, according to footage shared on social media.

He was transported to hospital with “critical…