U.S. airman's self-immolation protest a "tragic event"

Cartoon by Tan Xiguang

Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. airman, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in the U.S. on Feb. 25, in protest of the mass civilian casualties caused by Israel's military operations in Gaza.

The man protested in such an extreme way and live-streamed the process. "I will no longer be complicit in genocide," he said. Despite efforts to save him, he tragically passed away at the age of 25. A spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense referred to this incident as a "tragic event."

Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the U.S., Israel's closest ally, has provided much military aid for Israel, deployed aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea to support Israel, and repeatedly vetoed resolutions of the United Nations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which has triggered global discontent.

The latest statistics of the health authorities of Gaza showed that nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 70,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip by Israel's military operations.