US airman dies after setting himself on fire in protest outside Israeli embassy

The man had filmed himself shouting "Free Palestine" as he lit himself on fire, according to footage shared on social media.

US Secret Service vehicles block access to a street leading to the Embassy of Israel in Washington DC. Source: AFP / Mandel Ngan

Key Points

• The man declared he will "not be complicit in genocide" before dousing himself in liquid.
• He died from injuries sustained in the incident.
• Israeli embassy in Washington DC said no staff were injured.

A US Air Force airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza has died, the military and local police said.

Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defence operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died from injuries sustained in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.

"When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it," US Air Force Colonel Celina Noyes said in the statement.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time."

Lee Lepe, a spokesperson for the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the death.

The Pentagon said the death was a "tragic event" and that US defence secretary Lloyd Austin was following the situation.

A man has died after setting himself on fire to protest the war in Gaza, US authorities say. Source: AP / Mark Schiefelbein

Bushnell was initially hospitalised in critical condition after US Secret Service officers put out the flames on Sunday, DC Fire and EMS said earlier. Bushnell, wearing military fatigues, broadcast the incident live over the internet.

"I will no longer be complicit in genocide," the man said before dousing himself in a clear liquid and setting himself on fire, screaming "Free Palestine", according to a video seen by the Reuters news agency.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy said no staff were injured.

Israel's embassies have drawn continued protest against the war. In December, a woman protesting the war set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

Domestic and international pressure on the US

With the death toll in Gaza nearing 30,000, according to Gaza's health ministry, international pressure has been increasing on the United States to rein in ally Israel and call for a ceasefire.

The war broke out after Hamas launched an unprecedented 7 October attack that killed 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians.

Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Last week, Washington blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, its third such use of its veto on the matter.

Some voters in Joe Biden's Democratic Party are seeking to press the president on the issue, with groups of Arab American voters in Michigan pledging to vote "uncommitted" or write in "Free Palestine" on their ballots in the state's primary Tuesday.

The White House has tried to ease Arab and Muslim voters' concerns in part by portraying the president as frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

But US weapons have flowed to Israel since 7 October, while Washington's efforts to broker a second pause in fighting have so far failed.

In an update on ongoing multinational talks on Sunday, the US said an "understanding" had emerged on a possible deal for Hamas to release hostages and for a new ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Domestic demonstrations have typically involved peaceful street protests, though in December a person outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta also set themselves on fire.