Hamas on Tuesday paid tribute to the “immortal” memory of the American soldier who set himself on fire on Sunday outside the Israeli embassy in the United States, Israel's main supporter, to protest the war in Gaza.
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The self-immolation, the video of which was widely shared on social networks, was “an expression of the anger that is growing among the American people” over Israel's war in Gaza, the Palestinian Islamist movement said in a press release published in English.
This soldier “will remain immortal in the memory of Palestinians and free men around the world and will remain a symbol of the spirit of global human solidarity with our people and their just cause,” Hamas believes.
The video shows a man in military uniform declaring in front of the Israeli embassy gate that he will not be an “accomplice in the genocide in Palestine” before dousing himself with liquid and setting it on fire while shouting “Liberate Palestine!” . and fall to the ground.
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and died on Monday.
The Air Force confirmed he was an active member without providing further details.
This act comes as protests against Israel's devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip are growing in the United States.
The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas commandos from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,160 people, mostly civilians, AFP found using official Israeli data.
According to the Hamas Health Ministry, Israel has since launched a massive air and ground offensive in Palestinian territory in retaliation, killing nearly 30,000 people and wounding more than 70,000.