US airman dies after setting himself on fire in protest over Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza
A US Air Force member has died after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza.
The 25-year-old man, Aaron Bushnell, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday night. He has been identified as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, The Washington Post repots citing police spokesman Paris Lewbel.
The incident took place shortly before 1:00pm on Sunday in the 3500 block of International Drive NW.
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"I will no longer be complicit in genocide," said the man, wearing military fatigues, in a video he broadcasted live over the internet, according to the New York Times.
He then doused himself in a clear liquid and set himself on fire, screaming "Free Palestine," the Times reported.
Local police and Secret Service are investigating the incident.
Israel's embassy has been the target of continued protest against the war in Gaza. The war in Gaza has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States. The protests started after 7 October when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.
Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, laying much of it to waste, with nearly 30,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.
In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.
