At least 15 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday night. Australian authorities said it was a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
The shooting incident began at around 6:45pm local time on Bondi Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
About 1,000 people gathered for Hanukkah by the Sea, an annual event hosted by Chabad of Bondi to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.
Gunmen dressed in black opened fire with long guns from a pedestrian bridge leading to the beach and continued firing for about 10 minutes.
Witnesses described chaos and panic as hundreds of people fled along the sandy beach and onto nearby roads, many abandoning their belongings.
victim
The attack killed 15 people. One of the attackers was also shot dead by police, and the other remains in critical condition.
At least 40 people, ranging in age from 10 to 87, were hospitalized with injuries. Three children remain under observation.
Two police officers were among those shot and are in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the confirmed victims so far include Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and the main organizer of the event, a 12-year-old girl, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleitman, French national Dan Elkayam, and an Israeli citizen.
suspects
Police identified the two attackers as a father and son.
The 50-year-old father was shot dead by police at the scene. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he had a firearms license and had six firearms registered.
The 24-year-old son is in serious but stable condition and is in police custody.
One of the gunmen was identified as Naveed Akram, from Bonnyrigg, in Sydney’s south-west.
Police raided a Bonnyrigg home associated with one of the suspects.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess confirmed one of the attackers was known to Australian security intelligence, but was not considered an immediate threat.
Authorities initially investigated the involvement of a third party, but are currently not searching for additional suspects.
Police found and removed an improvised explosive device linked to one of the gunmen from a vehicle on Campbell Parade.
main character
Video footage showed a man in a white shirt tackling one of the gunmen from behind and snatching his rifle.
Australian media identified him as Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, a Sydney fruit stand owner.
Al-Ahmed was shot twice during the struggle, once in the arm and once in the hand. He underwent surgery and is recovering.
NSW Premier Chris Minns called him a “true hero” and said “so many people are alive tonight because of his bravery”.
response
Prime Minister Antony Albanese declared it “an act of pure evil, an act of anti-Semitism and an act of terrorism.”
“This was a deliberate attack on the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” he said. “An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all Australians.”
Police announced it as a terrorist incident Sunday night local time. Australia’s counter-terrorism squad is leading the investigation. Flags across Australia are flying at half-mast.
World leaders condemned the attack. In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron called it an “anti-Semitic terrorist attack” and vowed to continue fighting “anti-Semitic hatred.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Israel’s “heart goes out to our Jewish sisters and brothers in Sydney” and called on Australia to fight “a huge wave of anti-Semitism”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Australian government of “adding fuel to this fire of anti-Semitism”.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Anti-Semitism has no place in this world.”
“Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia,” Rubio said.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were “appalled and saddened by this most horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack” and praised the heroic actions of police and bystanders.
King Charles III said in a statement: “In times of hurt, Australians always come together in unity and determination. I know that the spirit of community and love that shines so bright in Australia, and the light that is at the heart of Hanukkah, will always triumph over the darkness of evil like this.”
The attack was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people. This tragedy led to sweeping gun reform.
Australia has seen a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents since October 2023. The Executive Council of Australian Jews (ECAJ) recorded 1,654 anti-Semitic incidents between October 2024 and September this year, almost five times the average before October 2023.
Recent anti-Semitic attacks in Australia include the arson attacks on a synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher restaurant in Sydney in 2024, which authorities have linked to Iran.
Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most famous beaches and will attract more than 2 million tourists in 2024. Sydney’s eastern suburbs are home to about a third of Australia’s 150,000-strong Jewish community.