'I will no longer participate in genocide': an American pilot set himself on fire near the Israeli Embassy in Washington

A US Air Force serviceman set himself on fire on February 25 near the Israeli Embassy in Washington. He shouted that he did not want to be “an accomplice to genocide” and called for the liberation of Palestine. The man died in hospital, reports with the BBC.

Photo: iStock.com/RBFried

The incident occurred at 13:00 local time.

The American pilot, 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell from San Antonio, Texas, was taken to the hospital on February 25 afternoon in critical condition.

On the subject: The International Court of Justice calls on Israel to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip

Before setting himself on fire, he declared that he would “not participate in genocide again.” US Secret Service officers extinguished the flames and called an ambulance.

In the video, which was broadcast live on the streaming site Twitch, the man introduced himself and said he was an Air Force member and was "about to do an extreme protest." The pilot repeatedly shouted the call for “freedom for Palestine.”

None of the employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were injured as a result of the incident.

A bomb disposal team was called to the scene following concerns about a suspicious vehicle which may have been linked to the man.

No hazardous materials were found as a result of this operation.

D.C. police said officers were working with the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident.

War between Israel and the Gaza Strip broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel. They killed about 1200 people and took 253 hostages.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in the Gaza Strip, in which 29 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

According to the UN, as of mid-January, 1,9 million Gazan civilians were forced to leave their homes as a result of Israeli military operations, which is 85% of its population.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read all this on ForumDaily New Y

This is not the first time someone has set themselves on fire in front of the Israeli diplomatic mission in the United States.

In December, a protester self-immolated in front of the Israeli consulate in the US state of Georgia. The Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest, police said.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• October 7 Hamas attacked Israel: Netanyahu said "this is war."
• 8 October The Israeli government officially declared war and greenlighted "significant military steps" in response to the surprise attack by Hamas militants.
• October 11, first plane with American weapons arrived in southern Israel, and the US government invited American citizens wishing to leave Israel evacuation flights. On October 14 it became known: Egypt, Israel and the United States agreed that foreigners living in the Gaza Strip, will be able to travel through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
• October 16 President US Joe Biden said Israeli occupation Gaza Strip would be a big mistake.
• Hossein Amir-Abdallahian, Iranian Foreign Minister, October 18 posted a tweet where he wrote that Israel’s time is “running out”. This happened after a rocket attack on a hospital in Gaza took place on October 17.
• 18 October US President Joe Biden visited Israelto express strong support for a country that has declared war on the Palestinian group Hamas due to its brutal terror.
• 19 October US President Joe Biden addressed the Americans from the Oval Office with a speech about the wars between Israel and Hamas, as well as Russia and Ukraine.
• October 24 Hamas released two hostages: about what one of them said.
• On October 24, at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the situation in the Middle East is becoming more dire by the hour and called on all parties to respect and protect civilians. Israel reacted angrily to comments by the UN Secretary General.
• Israeli troops and tanks conducted a raid in the Gaza Strip on the night of October 26. The military said it carried out several strikes on terrorist targets to “prepare the battlefield” ahead of a major ground operation.
• 27 October two Egyptian cities on the Red Sea were bombed – six people were injured. The aggressor has again demonstrated the danger of the conflict between Israel and Gaza spreading throughout the region. In the same day representatives of Iran and Hamas met in Moscow to talk about Israel.
• On November 1, hundreds of foreign passport holders and wounded people trapped in the Gaza Strip began to leave the war-torn territory. For them, for the first time since the Hamas attacks on Israel, Rafah, the border crossing with Egypt, opened.
• 13 November Israel Defense Forces (IDF) showed weapons and explosives in othe bottom of the rooms located under the Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital. The Israeli military said parts of the basement were a Hamas "command and control center" and may have been used to hold hostages.
• International Court of Justice January 26 decided that Israel must take all measures to prevent acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, but he did not oblige Israel to immediately cease fire.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Dinosaurs flew over San Diego: what is happening and what does the new Legoland have to do with it

Where to go in spring: tips for each zodiac sign

The United States imposed sanctions against Russia due to the death of Navalny: they affected more than 500 people and organizations

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.