Two gunmen took seven hostages at a factory in northwest Turkey owned by US company Procter & Gamble on Thursday, according to media reports, apparently in protest over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Turkish media published an image of one of the purported suspects inside the factory, a man wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun.

DHA, a private news agency, said the suspects entered the main building of the facility in Gebze, in the province of Kocaeli, at around 3pm local time (1200 GMT) and took seven members of staff hostage.

It claimed they were acting to highlight the loss of life in Gaza since the invasion by Israel.

Ismet Zihni said his wife Suheyla was among the hostages. Speaking from near the factory, he told DHA that he had called her. “She answered: ‘We’ve been taken hostage, we’re fine’ and she hung up,” he said.

Police sealed off surrounding roads at the factory and were said to be trying to negotiate with the hostage-takers.

P&G’s head office in Cincinnati confirmed an ongoing incident. A spokesperson said: “The safety of P&G people and our partners is our top priority. Earlier today, we evacuated our Gebze facility and are working with local authorities to resolve an urgent security situation.”

P&G Turkey employs 700 people at three sites across Istanbul and Kocaeli, according to the company’s website. It produces cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste.

Public feeling against Israel and its main ally the US has risen in Turkey since the conflict began, with regular protests in support of the Palestinian people in major cities and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has been particularly outspoken, referring to Israeli “war crimes” and comparing Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s prime minister, to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

The US Embassy in Ankara issued a warning in November about demonstrations that are “critical of US foreign policy” and call for boycotts of US businesses. The advice followed protests and attacks on outlets such as McDonald’s and Starbucks over the conflict in Gaza.

The photograph of the suspect carried in the Turkish media shows him with a black-and-white Arabic headscarf covering his face. He is standing next to a graffitied wall showing the Turkish and Palestinian flags with the slogan “the gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza”. A musalla is an open prayer area for Muslims, usually used for funeral rites.

DHA also published a photograph of some of the hostages celebrating a birthday. It reported that the staff had brought a cake to work for one of their colleagues and the hostage-takers allowed them to celebrate.