A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday as an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force passed away after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., according to journalist Talia Jane’s post on X.
The individual, identified by Jane as Aaron Bushnell, 25, made a declaration while engulfed in flames, stating that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” as relayed by a source familiar with the situation to The Associated Press.
Witnesses reported that Bushnell approached the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. and initiated a livestream on the video platform Twitch. Law enforcement officials believe he started the livestream, placed his phone down, and proceeded to douse himself with an accelerant before igniting the fire. During the ordeal, he repeated his statement about not being complicit in genocide.
Although the original video was removed from the platform, authorities have obtained and reviewed a copy. Jane also shared a blurred version of the video on X.
The source providing details requested anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.
Further details about the incident were not immediately provided by the police.
The incident occurred amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to secure cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while negotiations for a temporary cease-fire were underway. Israel’s military actions in Gaza have been met with criticism, including accusations of genocide against Palestinians.
Israel has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that its operations comply with international law within the Israel-Hamas conflict.
This tragic event recalls a similar incident in December, where an individual self-immolated outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta using gasoline as an accelerant, according to Atlanta’s fire authorities. A Palestinian flag was discovered at the scene, and the act was interpreted as an extreme form of political protest.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington stated that its officers responded to the scene at the Israeli Embassy to assist U.S. Secret Service officers. Additionally, the bomb squad was summoned to inspect a suspicious vehicle, though no hazardous materials were found within it.
