Gun Attack at Jewish Festival Kills 11 on Sydney’s Bondi Beach

Eleven people were killed and many others wounded on Sunday when two gunmen opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, in what authorities described as a “terrorist” attack.

New South Wales police said at least 29 people were taken to nearby hospitals from the beach, one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations. One of the suspected attackers was killed, while the second was left in critical condition.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised civilians who confronted and disarmed one of the attackers, calling them “heroes”.

Police officially classified the incident as a “terrorist incident” and said suspected improvised explosive devices were discovered inside a vehicle linked to the deceased suspect.

“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith — an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation,” Albanese said.

“An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian,” he added.

The shooting occurred during the annual “Hanukkah by the Sea” celebration at Bondi Beach, which police said drew more than 1,000 people.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the incident as a “cruel attack on Jews” and urged Australian authorities to intensify efforts against antisemitism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Australia’s government of contributing to rising anti-Jewish sentiment before the attack.

As shots rang out, crowds fled the beach in panic. Bondi Beach, located in eastern Sydney, is typically packed with surfers, swimmers and tourists, especially on weekends.

“We heard the shots. It was shocking, it felt like 10 minutes of just bang, bang, bang. It seemed like a powerful weapon,” said Camilo Diaz, a 25-year-old student from Chile, speaking to AFP.

Emergency services received the first reports of gunfire at 6:47 pm local time (0747 GMT).

‘Blood Everywhere’

One witness, who asked not to be identified, said he saw six dead or injured people lying on the sand. The grassy hill overlooking the beach was littered with belongings left behind by people fleeing the scene, including a discarded child’s stroller, according to an AFP journalist.

Images broadcast by public broadcaster ABC showed paramedics treating wounded people on the grass. A weapon believed to be a pump-action shotgun was seen lying near a tree close to the beach.

A British tourist told AFP he saw “two shooters in black” during the chaos.

“There was a shooting, two shooters in black with semi-automatic rifles,” said Timothy Brant-Coles, adding that he saw multiple people who had been shot.

Antisemitism Concerns

The attack comes amid heightened concern over antisemitism in Australia following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

The Australian government has previously accused Iran of orchestrating two antisemitic attacks and expelled Tehran’s ambassador nearly four months ago. Prime Minister Albanese said intelligence assessments found Iran directed the arson of a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi area in October 2024 and a major fire attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024. No injuries were reported in those incidents.

The head of the Australian Jewish Association described the Bondi Beach shooting as “a tragedy but entirely foreseeable”.

“The Albanese government was warned so many times but failed to take adequate actions to protect the Jewish community,” Robert Gregory told AFP.

A leading Muslim organisation in Australia also condemned the violence.

“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those who witnessed or were affected by this deeply traumatic attack,” the Australian National Imams Council said.

Australia has experienced previous deadly attacks in recent years. In April last year, six people were killed in a stabbing at a shopping centre near Bondi Beach. In 2019, Australian-born Brenton Tarrant killed 51 people in an attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, an assault linked to white nationalist extremism.

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