U.S. airman dies after self-immolation in protest in front of Israeli embassy
U.S. airman Aaron Bushnell has died after lighting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC to protest Israel's actions in Gaza.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/middleeast/israel-embassy-man-on-fire.html
The man, who filmed and livestreamed his protest of Israeli military action in Gaza, had been taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The U.S. Air Force confirmed he was an active-duty airman.
A US airman has died after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68405119
The man was identified by police as Aaron Bushnell, 25, of San Antonio, Texas. Officers from the US Secret Service extinguished the flames before the man was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon. Before setting himself on fire, he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide".
In a video aired live on a streaming site, Twitch, the man identified himself and said he was a serving member of the Air Force. He said he was "about to engage in an extreme act of protest." After setting himself on fire, he repeatedly shouted "free Palestine".
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington said that it was "not confirming the authenticity of the video".
No embassy staff members were injured in the incident, said a spokeswoman for the embassy. The incident happened at 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday. A bomb disposal unit was sent to the site over concerns about a suspicious vehicle that could have been connected to the individual. This was later declared safe after no hazardous materials were found.
The media just can't help themselves but report it like a terrorist attack...
Kid Rock calls for killing thousands in Gaza if captives not released
Kid Rock has said in an expletive-laden tirade that Israel should give Hamas 24 hours to free all captives or else start killing people in the tens of thousands.
“I don’t disagree with what Israel is doing. It’s like they should just go in there and be like, ‘You know what, we want our hostages back. If we don’t have them back, the clock starts now. In 24 hours, we are gonna start bombing m************, and killing civilians, 30,000 to 40,000 a f****** time’,” he told the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
“That’s the only thing people understand … It’s what happened in Nagasaki and Hiroshima,” he said. The podcast was released on Thursday, but Kid Rock’s comments on Gaza started to go viral in subsequent days, stirring outrage. Several US celebrities and politicians have called for mass violence against Palestinians with little or no consequences, in what rights advocates say is the growing normalisation of anti-Palestinian hate.
In contrast, artists, academics and politicians who have voiced support for Palestinians have suffered professional repercussions. For example, last year, many Democrats joined Republicans in the US House of Representatives to censure Rashida Tlaib – the only Palestinian member of Congress.
Gaza authorities accuse Israel of 19 different kinds of war crimes
Gaza’s Government Media Office says Israeli forces have been committing rampant violations, including crimes against humanity, which together fit the legal definition of genocide. Here are some of the war crimes that the office said Israel has been carrying out since October 7:
- Deliberate killings: Israel has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians.
- Torture: Israel has detained 2,600 Palestinians, and there are credible reports that many have been mistreated.
- Forced displacement: Israeli forces have forced more than 80 percent of the people in Gaza to leave their homes.
- Hostage-taking: The office says Israeli forces have taken Palestinian civilians hostage and used them as human shields in several military operations.
- Using hunger as a weapon of war: Israel has been imposing a severe siege, preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and also targeting assistance convoys.
- Bombing homes, houses of worship and schools: According to the office, Israel has destroyed more than 500 mosques and churches, 300 educational institutions and 360,000 residential units.
- Targeting heritage sites: Israel has destroyed more than 200 cultural sites, including some that are centuries old.
- Targeting medical centres: “Israel deliberately carries out military attacks against medical facilities throughout Gaza to deprive Palestinians of any chance of survival”, putting 31 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza out of service.
Israel is carrying out ‘cultural genocide’ in Gaza: Official
Abdel Salam Attari, director general of literature and publishing at the PA Ministry of Culture, says Israel has been deliberately targeting all forms of culture in the besieged coastal enclave.
“The occupation is destroying cultural life and creativity in Gaza, which is part of its policy of erasing Palestinian identity,” Attari tells Al Jazeera.
“The ferocity of attacks on Palestinian culture increased since October 7. Up until February 13, we have documented the killing of 44 writers and artists, in addition to the destruction of 32 cultural institutions, centres and theatres, as well as 12 museums, nine public libraries and eight publishing houses and printing presses.”
Attari adds that “Israel has been systematically targeting – with the aim to destroy – the Palestinian narrative. Cultural and social life has come to a near paralysis in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”
Israeli soldiers filming own abuses shows ‘depth of tragedy’ in Gaza: UN expert
A video showing an Israeli soldier gifting his fiancee a pair of shoes he looted from a home in Gaza has sparked criticism on social media.
“Young Israeli soldiers finding the time [and stamina] to document their crimes cheerfully gives the depth of the tragedy unfolding in Gaza,” UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said on X. Israeli soldiers have posted videos of themselves stealing from Palestinian homes, blowing up residential buildings and destroying medical centres in Gaza, among other abuses.
Gaza’s Government Media Office says that at least $25m in cash, gold and valuables has been looted from the territory in the first three months of the war.
Young Israeli soldiers finding the time (and stamina) to document their crimes cheerfully, gives the depth of the tragedy unfolding in #gaza. Make no mistake, for Jewish Israelis as well. https://t.co/oEbEezq5iz
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) February 25, 2024
There was further escalation after ICJ orders: UN expert
Margaret Satterthwaite, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, has spoken to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic about the deteriorating situation in Gaza after the International Court of Justice’s order to Israel to prevent genocide in the territory.
Here is a summary of what she said:
- The Israeli war against the health system in Gaza is deliberate.
- Following the ruling of the International Court of Justice, there has been further escalation.
- We fear a disaster due to the spread of decomposing bodies and the spread of epidemics.
- We cannot do anything without an immediate ceasefire.
‘Catastrohic conditions’ at southern Gaza hospital
A UN delegation has visited the al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis to inspect the damage caused by Israeli forces, the Palestine Red Crescent Society has said.
“The delegation witnessed the extent of the damage caused by Israeli occupation artillery shelling to several floors of the hospital, as well as the catastrophic conditions inside due to severe shortages in food, drinkable water, medical supplies, and medication,” the group said.
The hospital has been under siege for weeks by the Israeli army.
During yesterday’s visit by a UN delegation to PRCS Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Tunis , which has been under siege for the thirty-fourth consecutive day, the delegation witnessed the extent of the damage caused by Israeli occupation artillery shelling to several floors of the… pic.twitter.com/IJUykEOdkl
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 25, 2024
