Soldier Who Self-Immolated in Protest Against "Palestine Massacre" Ultimately Dies

Opposition to Gaza Strip War
Self-Immolation Process Live-Streamed on SNS

A U.S. soldier who self-immolated in protest against the Israel-Hamas war has reportedly died.

On the 26th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense announced that active-duty soldier Aaron Bushnell (25), who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., has passed away. A Defense Department spokesperson stated, "The U.S. soldier who self-immolated in protest of the Gaza Strip war died last night," and explained that additional details would be released 24 hours after notifying the family of the deceased.

On the 25th (local time), a current U.S. military personnel set himself on fire near the Israeli embassy while appealing for support for Palestine. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Bushnell self-immolated around 1 p.m. the previous day in front of the Israeli Embassy. Security personnel and fire authorities at the scene extinguished the flames on Bushnell's body and transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment, but he was reportedly already in critical condition at the time.

Bushnell was a member of the U.S. Air Force and live-streamed the self-immolation process on social media while appealing for support of Palestine. U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times (NYT), which obtained the video, reported that he walked toward the embassy saying, "I will no longer be an accomplice to genocide. I will engage in extreme protest." He also shouted slogans such as "Freedom for Palestine." However, the video has since been deleted.

Meanwhile, after the Palestinian armed faction Hamas launched a surprise attack and massacre against Israel, the Israeli military retaliated by invading the Gaza Strip. Since the outbreak of the war in October last year, the Gaza Strip has reportedly suffered devastating damage up to this month.

The Gaza Strip health authorities currently estimate the number of Palestinian deaths to be at least 29,514, with injuries reaching 70,000. The population residing in the Gaza Strip is approximately 2 million.

Bloomberg News cited a recent report published by the World Bank (WB), stating, "Almost all economic activities in the Gaza Strip have come to a halt," describing it as "one of the most severe shocks in economic history." As of the fourth quarter of last year, the Gaza Strip's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 80% compared to the previous quarter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.