Man sets himself on fire outside US Israeli embassy

A man has set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, according to emergency services.

The incident happened at around 13:00 local time (18:00 BST) on Sunday.

Officers from the US Secret Service extinguished the flames before the man was taken to hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, the city's fire department reported.

The Washington police department is investigating alongside the Secret Service and other relevant authorities.

A bomb disposal unit was sent to the sight over concerns about a suspicious vehicle that could have been connected to the individual.

This was later declared safe after no hazardous materials were found.

No embassy staff members were injured in the incident, a spokeswoman for the embassy told the New York Times.

It is not the first time someone has self-immolated in front of an Israeli diplomatic mission in the US.

Police said the demonstrator used petrol, and a Palestinian flag was found at the scene on that occasion.