In a devastating incident, at least 12 people, including one gunman, have lost their lives following a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Sunday evening. Emergency services were alerted to the scene around 6:45 p.m. local time after reports of gunfire surfaced. The New South Wales police confirmed that at least 29 individuals have been hospitalized as a result of the attack.
The chaotic event unfolded when hundreds of attendees gathered for "Chanukah by the Sea," an annual celebration marking the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. In addition to the deceased gunman, a second shooter is currently in critical condition, and two police officers sustained injuries while responding to the crisis.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled the shooting a targeted attack against Jewish Australians and described it as a terrorist incident. In a poignant statement shared on social media, he emphasized, "An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian. There is no place for this hate, violence, and terrorism in our nation. Let me be clear. We will eradicate it."
Chabad, an influential Orthodox Jewish movement responsible for organizing events worldwide, identified one of the victims as Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and a key figure in the event's organization. Eyewitness video footage captured the harrowing scene, showing two gunmen firing from a footbridge. Some clips aired on Australian television, depicting a brave individual attempting to tackle and disarm one of the assailants.
Mass shootings are relatively infrequent in Australia, a trend attributed to the nation's stringent gun laws. Following the tragic Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where a single gunman killed 35 people, Australia implemented some of the strictest gun control measures globally. This recent shooting marks the first deadly mass shooting in Australia since 2022, when six people, including two police officers, were shot in what was deemed a suspected ambush.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held Australian Prime Minister Albanese accountable for the rise in antisemitism, asserting his inaction during the ongoing Gaza conflict. In remarks made during a government meeting, Netanyahu stated, "Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You took no action. You let the disease spread, and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar expressed Israel's sorrow over the attack and raised concerns about the increasing antisemitism in Australia since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel began on October 7, 2023. Over recent years, Australia has witnessed multiple antisemitic incidents, including arson attacks. In August, Prime Minister Albanese attributed responsibility for two incidents to Iran and severed diplomatic ties with Tehran.
United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres condemned the shooting as a "heinous deadly attack on Jewish families." Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated calls for Australia to take decisive action against the alarming surge of antisemitism, emphasizing the need for robust measures to protect the Jewish community.