A PRO-HAMAS alleged suicide bomber took staff hostage at a Procter & Gamble factory in a protest against Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
The man is believed to have taken seven workers hostage and is holding them at the plant in northwestern Turkey, according to media in the country.
The man poses inside the P&G factory after taking staff hostage
@oencueonurGuns and spray cans can be seen near the painted wall[/caption]
Cops cordoned off the scene outside the factory
A union representing workers at the consumer goods plant said that the rest of the plant’s workers had been released safely after the plant was evacuated.
The private DHA news agency published a photo widely circulated online of the attacker holding a gun and what appeared to be a suicide vest strapped to his chest.
Another photo showed the man holding a gun in one hand and making a ‘V’ sign with his other hand.
He was seen posing in front of a wall on which Turkish and Palestinian flags were painted with a script that reads: “Gates will open. Either coffin rest or death for Gaza.”
The suspect was also reportedly forcing members of staff to livestream the horror events as they unfolded, say TELE1.
The man entered the factory in Gebze industrial zone in Kocaeli province around 3pm local time, Demiroren News Agency reported.
Cops rushed to the scene to try and persuade the man to give himself up as special operation forces and medics were also dispatched, Turkish media reported.
It was not immediately clear how many people were being held at the plant, a police spokesman said but reports in Turkey say seven people were held.
Uğur Saray, the owner of Gebze Yenigün Newspaper, spoke to TELE1 and said: “It is one of the largest factories in the OIZ. It is a business with high security measures. You go through a two or three stage system.
“According to the information we have received, it is claimed that an unidentified person jumped over the fence and took one or more people hostage.
“It is considered to be an action related to the Gaza war. We could not get any information about the number of attackers who took hostages. We have not received any information from the authorities yet.”
This chilling situation comes after Hamas officials sent an eerie warning to the families of those still held hostage saying they will all be killed if Israel continues bombing Gaza as the bloody war rages on.
The group’s armed terror wing Al-Qassam Brigades issued the threat in a sickening mocked-up image of a breaking news story on their Telegram feed on Saturday.
The horror threat came almost four months into the Israel-Hamas war following the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian terror group.
Having stormed the Israeli border and massacred more than 1,000 people, a further 240 were taken captive by militants more than three months ago.
And despite 105 of those being released during a short-lived ceasefire last year in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, it’s thought more than 100 are still alive and being held.
Some hostages are believed to have been killed, although Hamas has blamed Israel for those deaths.
And with their continued bombing in Gaza, Hamas has warned that the remaining hostages will also die as a result of ongoing strikes from across the border.
The terror group had already announced that there is “no chance” of releasing the remaining hostages following Netanyahu’s latest rejection of another ceasefire deal.
The Israeli PM turned down the conditions presented by Hamas that would include Israel’s complete withdrawal and leaving the terror group in power in Gaza.
Who are Hamas?
HAMAS is an Islamist militant group founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada or uprising against Israel.
The terror organisation is a Palestinian militant movement that also serves as one of the territories’ two major political parties.
Over the years, Hamas has carried out shooting, bombing, and rocket attacks in Israel and the two region’s armies have fought in Gaza in multiple cross-border since the group seized control of Gaza in 2007.
But the group drew worldwide attention when they commited a set of horror attacks on October 7, 2023.
They launched surprise land, air, and sea attacks on Israel, killing over hundreds of Israelis and leaving thousands more injured.
Since then the brutal warfare has continued and thousands have died on both sides of the fighting.
Hamas as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US, the EU, and the UK, as well as other powers.
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