Two Officers Stationed At Mass-Casualty Event

Only two police officers were on duty inside the Hanukkah festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach when a father-and-son gunman team opened fire on a crowd of around 1,000 people on Sunday night, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has confirmed. The shooting, designated a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community, left 15 people dead and dozens wounded, making it Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades and the deadliest antisemitic attack outside Israel since October 7, 2023.​

Minns said the pair of officers were assigned to the site, with additional police in the vicinity who arrived within moments of the first shots and engaged the attackers with sidearms from about 50 metres away, killing one and critically wounding the other. Witnesses reported that the gunmen fired into the crowd for up to ten minutes as families marked the first nights of Hanukkah in an open-air park beside the beach.​

Gunmen Identified, Motive Probed

Authorities have identified the attackers as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24‑year‑old son Naveed, who opened fire with long‑arms on the gathering before being shot by police. Sajid was killed at the scene, while Naveed was taken to hospital under police guard after being critically wounded during the gun battle. Investigators say the attack is being treated as an act of terrorism inspired by Islamic State ideology, and are examining the pair’s recent overseas travel and links to extremist networks.​​

Indian police have confirmed that Sajid was originally from Hyderabad in southern India, but say his relatives there deny any knowledge of his radicalisation or activities before the attack. Australian domestic intelligence agency ASIO is reported to have previously looked into Naveed’s associations with a Sydney-based Islamic State–aligned circle and a controversial local cleric, though he was not on a current terror watchlist at the time of the shooting.​

Civilians’ Courage Amid Chaos

New footage and eyewitness accounts have highlighted the actions of unarmed bystanders who tried to intervene before and during the attack. One man, identified as 35‑year‑old Sydney resident Ahmed al‑Ahmed, tackled one of the gunmen and wrestled away his weapon before being shot multiple times in the arm and shoulder; he remains in hospital and is expected to recover.​

Premier Minns praised the responding officers who confronted the attackers at distance with only sidearms against long‑arms, saying they faced offenders who had a tactical advantage yet still managed to stop further bloodshed. Community members and first responders described scenes of panic as people tried to shield children, drag the wounded to safety and provide first aid while gunfire continued.​​

Grief, Funerals And Identification Efforts

Jewish emergency organisation Zaka has flown a specialist team from Israel to assist with recovery and religious preparation of the victims’ remains. Volunteer Simcha Greineman said police gave the team access to the crime scene only on Tuesday, and that painstaking work to collect all remains would continue through the night to allow dignified burials in accordance with Jewish law.​

At least six of the 15 victims are scheduled to be buried on Wednesday, as families in Australia and overseas struggle with formal identification and repatriation. Officials say some of the dead are foreign nationals, complicating efforts because local authorities do not yet hold matching DNA or other forensic records needed to confirm their identities.​

Community Outrage Over Antisemitism And Security

Australian Jewish leaders have reacted with anger and sorrow, accusing federal and state authorities of failing to heed warnings about escalating antisemitism and violent rhetoric at anti‑Israel rallies since October 2023. Speaking at a vigil at Bondi Beach, North Shore Chabad Rabbi Nochum Schapiro said community representatives had repeatedly urged governments to clamp down on demonstrators who shouted “Gas the Jews” or “Where’s the Jews” at a notorious Sydney protest, but saw no prosecutions, deportations or firm action.​

Schapiro said he had written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese months ago warning that Canberra’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood would embolden antisemites and endanger Jews in Australia, but said he received no response. “When Israel is vilified, antisemites hear that it is acceptable to attack Jews,” he argued, calling for urgent legislation to tackle incitement and to strengthen protection for Jewish institutions nationwide.​

Calls For Tougher Action On Terror And Hate

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Western governments to urgently reinforce security for Jewish communities and to adopt “zero tolerance” policies towards antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi attack. In a video message, he warned that unchecked incitement inevitably translates into violence and demanded concrete measures rather than “belated condolences” after mass‑casualty attacks.​

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, meeting in Jerusalem, jointly condemned the Bondi shooting as part of a broader terror threat confronting both democracies, pledging continued cooperation against extremism “in all its forms and manifestations.” Australian Jewish bodies, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, are now pressing state and federal authorities for an independent review of security planning around the Hanukkah event and a comprehensive strategy to curb hate‑motivated violence.​