A US soldier, who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington during a protest against the ongoing Israeli brutality in Gaza, lost his life.
The UC military and local police have confirmed that a US Air Force officer who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington as a protest against the war in Gaza has died.
Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died of his injuries in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.
US Air Force Col. Selena Noyes said that every member of the Air Force feels sad when a tragedy like this happens. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Senior Airman Bushnell.
The Pentagon said that the soldier’s death is a tragic incident and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is monitoring the situation.
US Airman said he was tired of being “complicit to genocide” so he decided to pour gasoline over his head and light himself on fire while yelling “free PaIestine” pic.twitter.com/Rcjk4qDLF4
— 🇺🇸 Kate 🇩🇪 (@tschussyall) February 26, 2024
Bushnell, dressed in military uniform, broadcast the self-immolation live on the Internet. Bushnell was initially hospitalized in critical condition but did not survive.
In the video, the soldier was heard saying, “I will not be involved in genocide anymore,” before he shouted the slogan “Free Palestine” and set himself on fire. The viral video has been seen by millions of people around the world.
