At least 15 people, including a child, were killed after two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney\u2019s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, in what Australian authorities described as an act of antisemitic terrorism. Dozens more were injured, several critically, in the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades.<\/p>\n
Police said the attackers were a father and son. The older suspect, a 50-year-old man, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son was wounded and taken into custody. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said one of the gunmen was known to security services, but there had been no prior indication of a planned attack.<\/p>\n
Emergency services responded shortly after 6:45 p.m. as thousands of people were gathered at Bondi Beach, one of Australia\u2019s most iconic public spaces. Among them were hundreds attending \u201cChanukah by the Sea,\u201d a community event marking the start of the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah.<\/p>\n
Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed. At least 42 people were taken to hospitals across Sydney. Authorities said no additional suspects were being sought.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the shooting as \u201can act of pure evil\u201d and \u201can act of antisemitism and terrorism on our shores,\u201d saying the attack struck at the heart of a place associated with family, celebration and national identity. \u201cBondi Beach is forever tarnished by what has occurred,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted near the shoreline. Video footage circulated by local media showed beachgoers fleeing the area, leaving behind personal belongings. Separate footage appeared to show a bystander tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before police intervened. The premier praised the individual, identified by relatives to Australian media as Ahmed al Ahmed, as a \u201cgenuine hero.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jewish community confirmed that Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi with Chabad of Bondi and an organizer of the event, was among those killed. Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry said an Israeli citizen died in the attack, while French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a French national was also among the victims. Australian authorities have not yet released an official list of names.<\/p>\n
Police later said two improvised explosive devices were found at the scene and rendered safe by bomb disposal experts. The devices were described as rudimentary.<\/p>\n
The attack comes amid a surge in antisemitic incidents across Australia over the past year, including assaults, vandalism and threats, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, where most of the country\u2019s Jewish population resides. Government data shows such incidents increased sharply following the outbreak of the Israel\u2013Hamas war in October 2023.<\/p>\n
Albanese called for national unity and pledged that Jewish Australians would be protected. \u201cAustralians across the board must stand together,\u201d he said, while promising a full investigation into how the attackers obtained their weapons.<\/p>\n
Minns indicated that changes to gun laws were likely, noting that mass shootings remain rare in Australia due to strict firearms regulations introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Police said six firearms were recovered during a search linked to the deceased gunman.<\/p>\n
International leaders expressed shock and condolences. King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were \u201cappalled and saddened,\u201d while United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the attack and denounced antisemitism.<\/p>\n
Authorities said further updates would be provided as investigations continue.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At least 15 people, including a child, were killed after two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney\u2019s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, in what Australian authorities described as an act of antisemitic terrorism. Dozens more were injured, several critically, in the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades. Police said<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[1657,2470,2471,2473,2462,2463,2361,2472,781,1959],"class_list":{"0":"post-14705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oceania","8":"tag-antisemitism","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-bondi-beach","11":"tag-gun-laws","12":"tag-hanukkah","13":"tag-jewish-community","14":"tag-mass-shooting","15":"tag-national-security","16":"tag-sydney","17":"tag-terrorism"},"yoast_head":"\n