On Sunday, a U.S. airman died outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
He set himself on fire and shouted, “Liberate Palestine!”
After Secret Service agents extinguished the fire, Aaron Bushnell, 25, was taken to the hospital.
Before attempting to self-immolate in what he called a “radical protest”, he said, “I will no longer participate in genocide.
“No embassy staff were injured, a spokesperson said.
A Pentagon spokesperson called the incident, which occurred at 1 pm local time (6 pm GMT).
In a video broadcast live on Twitch, Bushnell, wearing a military uniform, identified himself and said he was a member of the Air Force.
He had previously emailed many reporters and left-wing and anarchist news websites. One of the groups that received the email was his Atlanta Community Press Collective.
“Today I am planning a radical protest against the genocide of Palestinians,” the email said, warning it was “very disturbing.
“Mr Bushnell was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene following concerns of a suspicious vehicle possibly associated with this individual.
This was declared safe as no harmful substances were detected.
Washington police said officers are working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident.
Bushnell, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, grew up in Massachusetts and attended public schools on the Cape Cod Peninsula.
The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that he held the rank of senior airman.
Bushnell said on his LinkedIn profile that he completed Air Force basic training “first class” in November 2020 and is aiming to “transition from the U.S. Air Force into software development.”
The war between Israel and Gaza broke out on October 7 last year when Hamas armed groups invaded southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages.
Israel responded with a military operation in Gaza that left 29,300 people dead, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the attack in the face of international criticism, saying the United States would “do more” if it suffered such an attack. Deaf,” he said.
This is not the first time someone has self-immolated in front of an Israeli diplomatic mission in the United States since the conflict escalated.
In December, a demonstrator self-immolated in front of the Israeli consulate in the US state of Georgia, and police said the Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest