Air Force Member Dies in Self-Immolation Protest Outside Israeli Embassy

An active-duty member of the Air Force died after setting himself on fire as an act of protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. The individual, whose identity was confirmed as Aaron Bushnell, recorded the self-immolation, with a video posted online depicting the airman calmly walking to the front of the embassy. In the video, he states his intent to engage in an “extreme act of protest,” proceeds to pour an accelerant on himself, and ignites a lighter, screaming “free Palestine” before collapsing to the ground in flames. He would be taken to a local hospital, where he passed away.

Rose Riley, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed late Sunday evening that the deceased individual was an active-duty airman. The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department reported responding to the incident around 1 p.m. local time.

Armed guards in the video quickly approached the airman, weapons drawn, while one person brought a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames. Following the incident, the D.C. police dispatched an explosive ordnance disposal team to investigate a suspicious vehicle at the scene, ultimately clearing it Sunday evening after finding “no hazardous materials.” 

This event marks the second act of self-immolation related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with the previous incident occurring in December outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia. In that case, a protester set themselves on fire, and a Palestinian flag found at the scene was linked to the demonstration, according to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres claimed Gaza is becoming a "graveyard for children" citing the civilian death toll from Israeli strikes has exceeded 10,000.