Gunmen held seven staff members hostage at a Procter & Gamble (P&G) plant near Istanbul in protest over Israel's war in Gaza. The lone gunman, who was pro-Palestinian, demanded that Israel's “massacre” in Gaza be stopped and for the Rafa gate in Egypt to be opened for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The gunman was armed with two guns and appeared to have explosives strapped to his chest. He took a bathroom break, during which the Turkish police staged a raid and detained him unharmed. The hostages were released and their anxious relatives, who had gathered near the factory, broke into applause upon hearing the news.

Photos and videos shared by one of the hostages showed the gunman wearing a Palestinian scarf to hide his face, holding a gun, and appearing to have a suicide vest strapped to his chest. The wall behind him had a drawing of the Palestinian flag and the words "the door will be opened for Gaza" painted in red.

P&G's head office in Cincinnati confirmed the incident and stated that the safety of their employees and partners is their top priority. The company evacuated its Gebze facility and worked with local authorities to resolve the situation. P&G Turkey employs 700 people across three sites in Istanbul and Kocaeli, producing cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste.

Public sentiment against Israel and the US has been rising in Turkey since the conflict in Gaza began, with regular protests and calls for an immediate ceasefire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly vocal, accusing Israel of "war crimes" and comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

The US Embassy in Ankara issued a warning about demonstrations critical of US foreign policy and boycotts of US businesses due to the conflict in Gaza. This warning came after protests and attacks on outlets such as McDonald's and Starbucks.

The hostage situation at the P&G plant in Gebze has now been resolved, and all personnel are safe. The two gunmen were apprehended by law enforcement authorities, and the hostages were safely evacuated. The situation lasted for nearly nine hours before the police staged a raid during a bathroom break taken by one of the gunmen.

The motive behind the hostage-taking was the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The gunmen wanted to draw attention to the loss of life in the Palestinian enclave. The photograph of one of the suspects showed him wearing a black-and-white Arabic headscarf, standing next to a wall with the Turkish and Palestinian flags and the slogan "The gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza." A musalla is an open prayer area for Muslims, often used for funeral rites.

The incident at the P&G plant highlights the growing tension and public sentiment against Israel and the US in Turkey. It also underscores the need for heightened security measures and precautions for foreign companies operating in the country.