Gaza war: US airman sets self ablaze outside Israeli embassy

A US airman has died after setting himself on fire in self-immolation in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, shouting “Free Palestine”.

Aaron Bushnell, 25, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday with “critical life-threatening injuries”, according to the US capital’s fire department.

Before setting himself on ablaze, he said he would “no longer be complicit in genocide”.

In a video aired live on a streaming site, Twitch, the man identified himself and said he was a serving member of the Air Force.

He said he was “about to engage in an extreme act of protest.” After setting himself on fire, he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine,’’ BBC reports.

The agency said emergency responders rushed to the scene just before 1pm (18:00 GMT) in response to a “call for person on fire outside the Israeli embassy”. They arrived to find that officers from the US Secret Service had already extinguished the fire.

The US Air Force confirmed that the incident involved an active duty airman.

Local police said they are investigating the incident.

The police also said an explosive ordinance disposal was requested at the scene in relation to a suspicious vehicle that may be connected to the individual. It later said that no hazardous material was found.

The Israeli embassy said all of its staff members were safe, a spokesperson told the New York Times.

Israel’s embassy has been the target of continued protest against the Israeli war on Gaza.

The protests started after October 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian 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, 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. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene.