An active-duty airman reportedly said he did not want to be “complicit in genocide” by setting himself on fire.
A serving member of the U.S. military set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., officials said, in an apparent act of protest against Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, was rushed to hospital on Sunday with “serious, life-threatening injuries,” according to the US capital’s fire department.
The agency said emergency services rushed to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. (6 p.m. GMT) in response to a “call of a person on fire in front of the Israeli embassy.” They arrived to find that U.S. Secret Service agents had already put out the fire.
The U.S. Air Force confirmed the incident involved an active-duty airman.
‘Free Palestine!’
US media reported that Bushnell streamed himself live on Twitch, wearing fatigues and saying he “would not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself with liquid.
He then set himself on fire, shouting “Free Palestine!” » until he fell to the ground.
The images have since been removed from Twitch. Local police said they were investigating the incident.
The police also said an explosives disposal operation was requested to the scene in relation to a suspicious vehicle that may be linked to the individual. He later said no hazardous materials were found.
The Israeli embassy said all its staff members were safe, a spokesperson told the New York Times.
The Israeli embassy has been the target of ongoing protests against Israel’s war on Gaza. The protests began after October 7, when Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and captured 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.
Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, largely destroying it, leaving nearly 30,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.
In December, a protester set herself on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and it was believed to be an act of “extreme political protest.”