• World leaders express anger
• Israel accuses Iran, blames Australian Prime Minister

Sopuruchi Onwuka, with agency reports

At least 12 people were killed and 29 others injured in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in eastern Sydney on Sunday evening, after gunmen opened fire on crowds celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Active shooters caught by security camera approaching the Bondi Beach

The attack occurred at around 6:40 p.m. as families and revelers gathered near the beachfront ahead of Christmas and year-end festivities. Australia is currently in summer, and the area was crowded with swimmers and surfers, many of whom fled the scene in panic after the shooting began.

Local media reported that two suspects were involved. One was subdued by a bystander, while the other was shot dead by police. A second suspect remains in custody, and authorities are investigating reports that a third offender may have been involved.

The Australian government classified the incident as a terrorist attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the shooting as “a wicked act of anti-Semitism targeting Australian Jews on a day of joy and faith.”

The attack drew swift international condemnation. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was horrified, adding that his heart was with Jewish communities worldwide “on this first day of Hanukkah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington “strongly condemns the attack” and stressed that “antisemitism has no place in this world.” Britain’s King Charles III said he was “appalled and saddened,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the shooting “an attack on our shared values.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as a “ghastly terrorist attack” and expressed solidarity with Australia. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, said, “No community should ever fear coming together to celebrate its faith, traditions, or identity,” adding, “Make no mistake, this will not break us.”

Israeli leaders also reacted strongly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack but went further, linking it to international support for a Palestinian state. He said he had previously warned Albanese that calls for Palestinian statehood “pour fuel on the antisemitic fire.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, has contributed to a rise in antisemitism worldwide. Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state in September during the United Nations General Assembly, a move Netanyahu’s government has said rewards Hamas.

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, called the shooting a “cruel attack on Jews,” saying, “At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney have been attacked by vile terrorists. We are utterly shocked and bereaved.” Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that at least one of those killed was an Israeli citizen.

Australian religious leaders also spoke out. The Anglican Communion in Australia condemned the attack and warned of what it described as widespread, uncontained antisemitic propaganda. Anglican pastor Matt Graham said he was conducting a service at Bondi Anglican Church when panicked people entered seeking shelter.

“I’m surrounded by antisemitic graffiti constantly,” Graham told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “As a Christian, I want to say clearly that I stand with the people of Israel.”

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, speaking from the United States, said the attack reflected what he described as a growing and unchecked tide of antisemitism globally. He criticized what he called a lack of pushback against openly antisemitic behavior, including on college campuses and social media.

One of the gunmen was identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram, a Sydney resident whose driver’s licence listed an address in Bonnyrigg, in the city’s southwest.

Naveed Akram

Police conducted a raid at that address on Sunday evening.

Australian police promptly raids a suspect’s home in Sydney after a terrorist incident on Sunday

Unconfirmed reports say Akram was originally from Lahore, Pakistan. He was shot dead by police at the scene.

Social media posts from an Islamic centre in Australia indicate Akram completed religious studies in 2022, raising questions among investigators about possible radicalization. Video footage from the scene shows two men dressed in black firing rifles toward the beach from a bridge above a nearby car park.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon urged calm, saying investigators were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry.

Israeli officials said they were examining whether the attack may have been orchestrated by a foreign state or militant organization. Some Israeli media reports cited Iran as a possible state actor if foreign involvement is confirmed, while also examining potential links to groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Australian officials have not publicly confirmed any foreign involvement. Iran’s foreign ministry denied responsibility but condemned the attack, saying that “terror and the killing of human beings, wherever committed, is rejected and condemned.”

The shooting occurred amid heightened tensions between Australia and Iran. Last month, Australia formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and expelled Iran’s ambassador, accusing Tehran of directing antisemitic attacks on Australian soil.

Australia’s intelligence chief, Mike Burgess, said in August that Iran had “lit the matches and fanned the flames” of antisemitism in the country, citing arson attacks on Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne over the past year.

Prime Minister Albanese said any foreign-directed attacks would represent “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” aimed at undermining social cohesion.

Police continue to maintain a heavy presence at Bondi Beach as the investigation remains ongoing.