Man who set himself on fire in front of Israeli embassy in Washington DC has died
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A US Air Force member who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC has died.
The man – named by police as Aaron Bushnell – was an airman on active duty and had set himself ablaze in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza.
The 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, said he would “no longer be complicit in genocide,” according to the AP news agency.
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Air force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said on Monday that Mr Bushnell had “succumbed to his injuries and passed away last night”.
No further details were released.
Mr Bushnell walked up to the embassy just before 1pm on Sunday and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, a person familiar with the matter told AP.
He then doused himself in accelerant and ignited the flames, before collapsing to the ground.
Police at the scene on Sunday. Pic: WJLA/AP
The video has since been removed from the platform.
He also yelled “Free Palestine”, according to NBC, Sky News’ US partner.
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The flames were extinguished by Secret Service agents and Mr Bushnell was taken to a local hospital.
No embassy staff members were injured.
Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the incident was a “tragic event” and that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was following the situation.
Aaron Bushnell livestreamed the entire incident. Pic: Facebook/USAF recruiting quincy
Israel has denied allegations of genocide in Gaza, saying it is carrying out operations in accordance with international law.
The war began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostage.
Since then, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.