An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, identified as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, tragically died after setting himself on fire in an act of protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
Before committing the act, Bushnell, dressed in military fatigues, recorded a video stating his intention to perform an “extreme act of protest” against what he described as the “genocide of the Palestinian people” due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. In the video, he is seen pouring an accelerant on himself and igniting the flames while shouting “free Palestine.”.
Rose Riley, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed late Sunday that the individual involved was an active-duty airman, and the Air Force announced on Monday morning that he had succumbed to his injuries. The incident prompted a response from the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service, with officers responding to the scene and an explosive ordnance disposal team investigating a suspicious vehicle, which was later cleared of hazardous materials.
This event marks the second act of self-immolation linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, following a similar protest outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, in December. The Air Force has yet to release further details about Bushnell, stating that additional information will be provided after notifications to next-of-kin are completed.
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