Pro-Palestinian Activists Chase Israeli Woman in Istanbul Mall

Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists confronted and pursued an Israeli-Turkish citizen, Claudia Medina Halfon, inside the Istinye Park shopping mall in Istanbul on Sunday. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "There is a terrorist here in Istanbul right now!", "We don't want Zionists in our country", "Israel is a murderer", and "Child murderers" at Halfon. Video circulating on social media shows Halfon attempting to distance herself from the crowd as the protesters continued to confront her. Turkish media reported that approximately 20 to 25 individuals participated in the incident, which led to a disturbance. Police and medical teams were dispatched to the mall, and security personnel escorted Halfon out of the premises. The protesters waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and continued to chant anti-Israel slogans. Some reports indicated the mall was evacuated following the confrontation, though details on the extent of the evacuation were not fully provided. The incident occurred after Halfon had been targeted on social media in Turkey in recent weeks. Activists accused her of assisting Israeli soldiers in traveling to Turkey for medical and cosmetic treatments, and also raised allegations regarding her children's military service. According to the Turkish news site Turkiye Today, activists identified with the "Freedom Guard" group claimed they encountered Halfon while she was shopping and filed a complaint against her with the Istanbul prosecutor's office on Friday, two days before the incident. It remains unclear if an investigation was opened as a result of the complaint.