At least two attackers dead after a shootout with police outside Israel's consulate in Istanbul
At least two attackers were killed and one seriously wounded in a prolonged shootout between police and attackers outside the building that houses Israel's consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to media reports and video footage released by Reuters.
Reuters video footage showed police drawing their weapons and taking cover, gunfire could be heard for at least 10 minutes and one person was seen in a pool of blood.
Other images obtained by Reuters showed a suspected attacker moving among parked white police and security service buses and firing for several minutes with an automatic rifle and a pistol.
In a clip that appeared online, which Hotnews chose not to broadcast, two people can be seen motionless on the asphalt and armed law enforcement officers intervene with guns in hand.
Turkish media reported that two policemen were injured in the incident that took place right in front of the Israeli consulate tower in Istanbul's financial district.
Since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel in 2023, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the Israeli consulate.
A Reuters source said there are currently no Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey.
Television footage showed armed police patrolling the area after the armed incident.
Reports of gunfire near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul https://t.co/GjkCiTMl2U
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 7, 2026
Turkey's justice minister said on Tuesday that an investigation would be carried out into the armed incident near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, adding that three prosecutors had been appointed.
