A deliberate antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead and dozens wounded after two gunmen targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday evening. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese laid flowers at the site Monday, declaring the incident an act of terrorism while the nation observed a day of mourning with lowered flags.
The attack specifically targeted Jewish families and community members gathered for holiday festivities at a beachside park, with approximately 1,000 attendees present when the violence erupted. The choice of target and timing during a religious celebration left no doubt about the antisemitic motivation, according to police officials briefing the media. The iconic beach location, packed with visitors enjoying the hot weather, became a scene of chaos as gunfire sent people running for their lives.
Authorities identified the perpetrators as a related pair: Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed by security forces, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, who sustained critical injuries. The father’s death at the scene brought the casualty count to sixteen total deaths. Investigators are working to trace how the duo planned this assault and whether they had connections to broader extremist networks or acted independently.
Forty people remained under medical care, including two seriously injured police officers whose conditions had stabilized. The age range of victims—spanning from 10 to 87 years old—illustrated the attack’s impact on entire families and multiple generations gathered for celebration. A remarkable act of courage came from Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old shop owner who physically engaged one of the gunmen and successfully disarmed him, though he required surgery for bullet wounds.
This incident marks Australia’s most devastating gun violence in almost three decades, challenging the nation’s sense of security and raising urgent questions about protecting religious communities. The transformation of Bondi Beach from a symbol of Australian leisure and multiculturalism into a terrorism site has deeply shaken the public. As flowers piled up at makeshift memorials, community leaders called for unity against hatred while security officials reassessed protection measures for public gatherings.