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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/bushnell-immortalized-in-memory-of-palestinians--free-people">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Bushnell immortalized in memory of Palestinians, free people: Hamas</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">February 27, 2024<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>Palestinian
Islamic Resistance movement Hamas expresses its "heartfelt" condolences
to the family and friends of "heroic pilot Aaron Bushnell", saying his
name will live on forever as a defender of oppressed Palestinians.</p><img src="cid:ii_lt4l9w831" alt="138670a7-bada-4ff7-9cb8-774cb473be08.jpg" width="395" height="262"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
People leave notes and flowers during a vigil for US Air
Force active-duty airman Aaron Bushnell outside the Israeli Embassy,
Washington, DC, February 26, 2024. (<em>AFP</em>)
</li></div></ul>
<p>Palestinian Islamic Resistance movement Hamas expressed its
"heartfelt condolences" and "full solidarity" with the family and
friends of American citizen and US Air Force active-duty member Aaron
Bushnell, who carried out an act of self-immolation in front of the
Israeli embassy in Washington in protest of the Israeli genocide in
Gaza.</p>
<p>Making his way on foot toward the occupation embassy, Bushnell said
while recording himself: "My name is Aaron Bushnell. I'm an active duty
member of the United States Air Force. And I will no longer be complicit
in genocide."</p>
<p>"I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to
what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their
colonizers, it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has
decided will be normal," he said before pouring gasoline on himself.</p>
<p>He was then seen in the video lighting himself on fire while shouting
"Free Palestine" repeatedly, before an embassy guard came close and
raised a gun at his body, which then was on the ground, still
burning. The American pilot was transferred to a hospital where he was
later announced dead.</p><img src="cid:ii_lt4l9cjp0" alt="5042ba26-7fd9-44a6-8cbf-c7d14d323819.jpg" width="395" height="272"><br><ul id="gmail-content-slick-1"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
US Air Force active-duty member Aaron Bushnell (<em>Social media</em>)
</li></div></ul>
<h2>A defender of the oppressed Palestinian people</h2>
<p>Hamas held President Joe Biden's administration fully responsible for
his death, citing Washington's "policy that has supported the Zionist
regime in its genocidal war against our Palestinian people."</p>
<p>Hamas pointed out that the tragic incident acknowledges "the growing
anger" among the American public who reject their country’s policy,
"that contributes to the killing and genocide of our people" and
"violates global humanitarian values, by providing cover to ensure the
impunity of the Nazi entity and its leaders from punishment and
accountability."</p>
<p>"Aaron Bushnell immortalized his name as a defender of humanitarian
values and the oppressed Palestinian people," the statement read,
likening it to the sacrifice made by "American activist Rachel Corrie,
who was crushed [to death] by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah in 2003."</p>
<p>"The heroic pilot Aaron Bushnell will remain immortal in the memory
of our Palestinian people and the free people of the world, and a symbol
of the spirit of global humanitarian solidarity with our people and
their just cause."</p>
<h2>A haunting reminder</h2>
<p><a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/bushnell-incident-causes-fear-of-escalation-against-washingt">In a report</a> on Monday, <em>Politico </em>considered
Bushnell's death as the culmination of the increasing wave of
dissatisfaction with the White House's policy regarding Gaza.</p>
<p>The news website confirmed that "the self-immolation is an escalation
of the anger from within the government, which until now manifested
itself in resignations and hastily called group meetings," expressing
the ruling establishment's fear that the incident would "lead those who
work in the administration or are members of the services to become more
outspoken."</p>
<p>Administrative personnel within Biden's administration penned a
protest note to him, expressing concerns about his policies in the Gaza
Strip. They urged the White House to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza.</p>
<p>In the letter, staffers wrote that "to end one’s life in the most
violent and severe way is a stark warning for our nation," calling on
the White House to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.</p>
<p>"May his sacrifice be a haunting reminder for those who refuse to change course."</p>
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