U.S. airman who set himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in apparent act of protest has died

A U.S. Air Force airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza has died, the military and local police said on Monday.

Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defence operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died from injuries sustained in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.

"When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it," U.S. Air Force Colonel Celina Noyes said in the statement. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time."

Officer Lee Lepe, a spokesperson for the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the death.

The Pentagon said onMonday that it wasa tragic event. Pentagon spokespersonMaj.-Gen.Patrick Ryder said U.S.Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was following the situation.

Bushnell was initially hospitalized in critical condition after U.S. Secret Service officers put out the flames on Sunday, D.C. Fire and EMS said earlier. Bushnell, wearing military fatigues, broadcast the incident live over the internet.

The New York Times has separately reported on thebroadcast. "I will no longer be complicit in genocide," the man apparently said before dousing himself in a clear liquid and setting himself on fire, screaming, "Free Palestine," according to the Times.

The latest incident comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States followingHamas's Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel where around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 253 hostages seized.

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According to a senior U.S. official, an understanding outlining the parameters for a temporary pause in fighting in Gaza has been reached, and more negotiations are expected in Qatar this week.

Israeli forces then waged a military campaign against Hamas,the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, destroying much of the coastal enclave, with nearly 30,000 people confirmed killed, according to Palestinian health officials.

Israel's embassies have drawn continued protest against the war. In December, a woman protesting the war set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.