Police close the street leading to the Israeli Embassy in Washington (French)
The Pentagon confirmed on Monday the death of a US Navy pilot who burned himself in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington to protest the war in Gaza.
Pilot Aaron Bushnell (25 years old) died of the serious burns he sustained yesterday, Sunday.
This incident comes amid mounting protests in the United States against the ongoing war on Gaza.
The New York Times had previously quoted a US Air Force spokeswoman as saying that Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday afternoon in an "apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza."
The newspaper also quoted a fire department spokesman as saying that members of the US Secret Service were able to put out the fire, and the man was taken to the hospital with serious burns.
In a video broadcast live over the Internet, Bushnell, wearing military uniform, said he would no longer be complicit in genocide, before setting himself on fire while shouting, “Free Palestine.”
The New York Times reported that the pilot repeatedly shouted, "Free Palestine," and said before setting himself on fire, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide."
A US Air Force spokesman confirmed that the incident involved an active-duty pilot.
The Israeli embassy was the target of ongoing protests against the war on Gaza, which led to the outbreak of massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the United States and many parts of the world.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have launched a fierce aggression against the Gaza Strip, causing the death of about 30,000 Palestinians and massive destruction of the infrastructure of the besieged Strip, amid accusations against Israel before the International Court of Justice of committing “genocide.”
Source: Al Jazeera + American press