Will of Aaron Bushnell says his ashes must rest in liberated Palestine

US Air Force serviceman Aaron Bushnell, who died after self-immolation in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest Israel's ongoing "genocide" in besieged Gaza, has willed that his ashes should be scattered in liberated Palestine.

"I am sorry to my brother and my friends for leaving you like this. Of course, if I was truly sorry, I wouldn't be doing it. But the machine demands blood. None of this is fair," Bushnell wrote before setting himself on fire last Sunday, according to Memoirs of Aaron Bushnell, an article published on the Crimethinc website.

"I wish for my remains to be cremated. I do not wish for my ashes to be scattered or my remains to be buried as my body does not belong anywhere in this world," he wrote.

"If a time comes when Palestinians regain control of their land, and if the people native to the land would be open to the possibility, I would love for my ashes to be scattered in a free Palestine," he added.

'Freedom for Palestine'

Bushnell, 25, was an active-duty member of the Air Force, which stated that he was a cyber-defence operations specialist with 531st Intelligence Support Squadron.

"I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am 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 during a live stream on his mobile phone.

Then he proceeded to douse himself in gasoline, setting himself ablaze.

Dressed in military uniform, Bushnell shouted "Freedom for Palestine" repeatedly, until he could no longer speak.

An Israeli embassy police officer was seen aiming his gun at Bushnell, who was engulfed in flames, while a cop attempted to put out the fire, remarking: "I don’t need guns. I need a fire extinguisher."

The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that Bushnell died after setting himself on fire.

The US Air Force deemed Bushnell's protest a "tragedy."

Second such incident

Demonstrators have been holding vigils for Bushnell outside the Israeli embassy and elsewhere since his death.

The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning for a military invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel brutal war in Gaza has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.

In December, a person self-immolated outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and used gasoline as an accelerant, according to Atlanta's fire authorities.

A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and the act was believed to be one of “extreme political protest.”