The armed attack occurred at around 6.47 p.m. local time at Bondi Beach in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales (NSW). In its initial statement shared on social media, NSW Police announced that an active armed attack was underway at the beach and urged the public to stay away from the area. Large numbers of police officers, paramedics, and emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene.

Authorities said long-barreled firearms were used in the attack. Police secured the area by land, sea, and air, while boats and helicopters were deployed. Bomb disposal units were brought in after suspicious objects were detected during searches.

Death Toll and Number of Injured Confirmed

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said one of the victims was a child and confirmed that 15 people had lost their lives. He stated that 38 people were injured, including two police officers and one child, and that four children were transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital. Some of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.

NSW Premier Chris Minns later said the ages of those killed ranged from 10 to 87 and that the number of injured had risen to 42, with treatment ongoing in hospitals.

Terror Investigation and Hanukkah Focus

Authorities emphasized that the attack was aimed at the Jewish community and is being treated as a terrorist act. The fact that the shooting took place during Hanukkah, a major holiday in the Jewish calendar, was considered a key factor in the security assessment. NSW Police announced that security measures had been increased at synagogues and Jewish community sites throughout the holiday period.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the investigation was complex and multi-layered, noting that such attacks are often intended to inflame social tensions during sensitive periods.

Attackers Identified as Father and Son

Following identification efforts, authorities confirmed that the attackers were a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son. The father was killed at the scene, while the son remains hospitalized in critical condition. Officials said the father was a licensed gun owner and that six legally owned firearms belonging to him were recovered at the scene.

After the attack, police discovered several suspicious objects believed to be homemade explosive devices in a parked vehicle near Bondi Beach. Bomb disposal teams safely removed the items and handed the scene over to forensic investigators.

After the attack, police found several suspicious objects believed to be homemade explosive devices in a parked vehicle near Bondi Beach. Bomb disposal units safely removed the objects from the scene and handed the area over to forensic specialists.

Authorities said that during the attack targeting Hanukkah celebrations, one of the assailants was neutralized by 43-year-old fruit vendor Ahmed el-Ahmed. Footage shows Ahmed, who lives in the Sutherland Shire area, approaching the attacker from behind, seizing his rifle and forcing him to retreat.

Ahmed then leaned the weapon against a tree and raised his hands to demonstrate that he posed no threat to police. During the intervention, he was shot twice by a second attacker—once in the arm and once in the hand. Ahmed underwent surgery on Sunday night, and his condition was reported to be improving.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Ahmed el-Ahmed’s actions during a government meeting in Dimona on Sunday. “We saw the act of a brave man — and it turned out he was a brave Muslim man. I salute him. He prevented the killing of innocent Jews,” Netanyahu said.

In the same remarks, Netanyahu also criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, arguing that Australia’s current policies are “fueling antisemitism.” His comments further intensified the diplomatic and political tensions following the attack.

Netanyahu’s Sharp Criticism of Albanese

Following the attack, one of the most prominent critics of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The right-wing Israeli leader accused Albanese’s center-left government of failing to adequately protect the Jewish community in Australia and linked the attack to Canberra’s stance on recognizing a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu said, “Your call for a Palestinian state is pouring fuel on the anti-Jewish fire,” arguing that this approach encourages those who threaten Australian Jews and fuels antisemitic hatred on the country’s streets. He later reiterated these views in social media posts.

Albanese, who has faced growing criticism after the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, pledged to review Australia’s gun laws and to increase support and security measures for Jewish Australians.

Muslim Cemetery Desecrated

In a development that deepened fears of escalating communal tensions, a Muslim cemetery in Sydney’s south-west was allegedly desecrated with butchered pig heads and other animal remains. New South Wales Police said officers were alerted shortly after 6 a.m. to reports of animal carcasses placed at the entrance of the cemetery on Richardson Road in Narellan.

Police from the Camden Police Area Command responded to the scene and discovered multiple severed pig heads, an act widely viewed as deliberately provocative and offensive. Authorities said an investigation was launched immediately, with the remains swiftly removed and disposed of under official procedures.

The incident has raised alarm among community leaders, who warned that such acts risk inflaming religious and ethnic divisions in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack. The cemetery, located on land purchased in 2008 by the Lebanese Muslim Association from St Thomas’ Anglican Church to address a shortage of Muslim burial sites, has now become the focus of a separate hate crime investigation.

Police said inquiries are ongoing and urged the public to avoid speculation while investigators work to establish responsibility.