US airman dies after setting himself on fire in Israeli Embassy protest

A 25-year-old active-duty member of the United States Air Force, Aaron Bushnell, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, in an apparent act of protest against Israel's actions in Gaza.  According to a report in Al Jazeera, the incident occurred on Sunday, prompting emergency response teams to rush to the scene just before 1 pm.

According to officials, Bushnell, wearing military fatigues, live-streamed the incident on Twitch, declaring he would "not be complicit in genocide" before igniting himself and shouting "Free Palestine!" The US Secret Service had already extinguished the fire upon the arrival of emergency responders.

Bushnell was transported to the hospital with critical life-threatening injuries and has since succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police Department. The disturbing footage has been removed from Twitch, and local police are investigating the incident.

In response to the act, the Israeli embassy stated that all staff members are safe. The incident follows ongoing protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began after an October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, resulting in increased tensions and clashes in the region.

This tragic event echoes a similar incident in December, where a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, seen as an extreme political protest against the situation in Gaza.