[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]A member of the US Air Force, identified as 25-year-old airman Aaron Bushnell from San Antonio, Texas, died by self-immolation outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC. The incident occurred around 1 pm on Sunday, with the Metropolitan Police Department responding to assist the Secret Service.
During the incident, Bushnell, in uniform, shouted “Free Palestine” and declared that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” A video posted on Twitch showed him setting himself on fire. Law enforcement officers extinguished the flames approximately a minute later. Bushnell had livestreamed from the embassy, expressing his refusal to be complicit in genocide. The video was later removed.
Read more: Palestinian Delegates Urge Israeli Occupation Cessation At ICJ
The Israeli embassy confirmed no staff were injured, and Bushnell was unknown to them. An Air Force spokesperson verified Bushnell’s active-duty status without providing further details. A Facebook post attributed to Bushnell circulated, posing questions about contemporary moral dilemmas, though its authenticity remains unverified.
The police called an explosive ordnance disposal unit to investigate a suspicious vehicle related to the incident, but no hazardous material was found. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have previously protested at the embassy, calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. The offensive was initiated in response to cross-border attacks by Hamas in October, resulting in casualties and hostages.
Israeli strikes in Gaza, as claimed by Gaza’s Hamas-run health service, have led to the reported death of 29,692 Palestinians since October, with two-thirds being women and children. Additionally, 69,879 have been injured. The situation in the region has been marked by ongoing protests and heightened tensions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
