KUALA LUMPUR – Ten people, including one gunman, are confirmed dead after gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.
A further 12 people were injured in the attack, which took place as hundreds gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.
Police confirmed that two gunmen were involved, with one killed during the incident and the other taken into custody.
The shooting occurred just after 6.30pm, at the Chanukah by the Sea event, as attendees gathered to mark the start of the Jewish festival, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Footage aired by the ABC showed two men in black clothing firing on the crowd from a footbridge near the beach. Several people were seen being treated by police and paramedics in the aftermath of the attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his shock at the event, calling the scenes from Bondi “shocking and distressing.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the incident as a “cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach.”
While Australian officials have yet to confirm the shooters’ motivations or the identities of their targets, the attack has prompted widespread concern.
The Australian Muslim community has strongly condemned the violence, with the National Imams Council and the Council of Imams NSW calling for the perpetrators to be held fully accountable.
A senior law enforcement official later confirmed that one of the gunmen was Narveed Akram, a man from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west. Police are currently raiding his home.
The attack has left the community shaken, with emergency services working to care for the injured at nearby hospitals. Authorities have confirmed that there is no longer an active threat to the public. – December 14, 2025