Gunman opens fire in front of Israeli consulate in Istanbul (VIDEO)

A lone gunman discharged his weapon near the Israeli consulate general in Istanbul on Thursday, leading to a tense confrontation with the Turkish police, local media have reported.

The suspect fired a pump-action shotgun in the air five or six times in front of the diplomatic mission, news outlets reported. Officers used an armored vehicle as a shield, footage from the scene shows.

Officers discharged several warning shots, before the armed individual agreed to surrender, according to the media. He was later identified as a 33-year-old man with the initials A.S. He was in possession of a machete, three magazines of various capacities for his firearm, and had four rounds left, the police said.

The suspect said he wanted to protest against the Israeli military operation in Gaza, which is a red-button issue in the predominantly Muslim nation. A.S. has a criminal record with seven convictions, officials said, including a gun violation and battery.

Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in October last year following an incursion by the militant group Hamas, which claimed some 1,200 lives and resulted in more than 250 people being taken hostage.

At least 43,000 people have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, according to Palestinian officials. The UN released a scathing report last week, saying that some 70% of the deaths it had managed to verify were women and children.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced Israel, accusing it of conducting a genocide against Palestinians.