16 dead and 40 injured on Sydney’s Bondi Beach; Sign up for Hanukkah celebrations; a dead gunman; Police salute local hero
A screenshot from a user-generated video shows beachgoers fleeing Sydney’s Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire. Photo: AFP
SYDNEY:
Gunmen killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 40 others on Sunday after opening fire at a gathering celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, in what Australian police described as a “terrorist” attack.
The shooting took place during the annual ‘Hanukkah by the Sea’ event, which police said was attended by more than a thousand people on one of Australia’s most popular and busiest beaches. Emergency services responded to reports of shots fired at 6:47 p.m. local time.
Initially, New South Wales Police said at least 29 people were rushed to nearby hospitals from the beach. One of the suspected gunmen died at the scene, while a second suspect was seriously injured, authorities said.
Later in the early hours of Monday, police provided an updated death toll, confirming that 16 people were killed and at least 40 others were injured in a shooting, who remain in hospital. The police statement did not specify whether the toll included one of the shooters, who died in the attack.
Police declared the incident a “terrorist” attack and said suspected improvised explosive devices had been found inside a vehicle near the beach that were linked to the deceased suspect.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the shooting was a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah. “This is a targeted attack on Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith,” Albanese said.
“An act of evil, of anti-Semitism and terrorism, has struck at the heart of our nation. An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all Australians,” he added, while praising the ordinary citizens who intervened during the attack as “heroes.”
When gunfire erupted, crowds fled in panic from Sydney’s eastern beach, which is usually packed with swimmers, surfers and tourists, especially on weekends. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as people ran for safety.
“We heard the shots. It was shocking, it was like 10 minutes of bang, bang, bang. It seemed like a powerful weapon,” a 25-year-old Chilean student told AFP at the scene. Another witness said he saw six dead or injured people lying on the beach after the shooting.
An AFP journalist at the scene reported seeing discarded items strewn on the grassy hill overlooking Bondi Beach, including towels, bags and a child’s pram abandoned by people fleeing the area.
Paramedics were seen tending to the injured lying on the grass, according to footage broadcast by public broadcaster ABC. A gun that appeared to be a pump-action shotgun was lying next to a tree near the beach.
British tourist Timothy Brant-Coles told AFP he saw “two shooters dressed in black” after the shooting began. “There was a shooting, two shooters dressed in black with semi-automatic rifles,” he said, adding that he saw several people who had been shot and wounded.
Another British tourist said he saw people dragging children off the beach as gunshots rang out. “People were dragging their children away, there were about 40 shots. It sounded like fireworks,” said Bianca, a 26-year-old teacher from Sydney.
As evening fell, the normally bustling area around Bondi Beach was cleared as armed police cordoned off the streets and emergency sirens replaced the usual sounds of nightlife. Hours later, the beach was practically deserted.
Video footage circulating on social media showed a man struggling with one of the gunmen, snatching his gun and pointing it at the attacker, who appeared to retreat. Local media identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit seller.
Australian newspaper 7News reported that he suffered two gunshot wounds. A man identified as his cousin, Mustapha, told the outlet that Ahmed was hospitalized. “He’s in the hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside,” he said. “We hope he’s okay. He’s 100 percent a hero.”
Prime Minister Albanese also praised Ahmed and others who intervened as “heroes”, saying their actions may have saved lives. Australian authorities said investigations were ongoing, while police continued to secure the area and urged the public to follow official instructions.
World leaders expressed shock and condemnation. King Charles III said he was “horrified” by what he described as “the most terrible anti-Semitic terrorist attack against the Jewish people.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the news out of Australia “deeply distressing”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said anti-Semitism had no place in the world. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “shocked” by a “horrific act of violence”, adding that Europe stands with Australia and Jewish communities around the world.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack and said France would fight tirelessly against anti-Semitic hatred. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her deep sorrow.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran condemned the violent attack, adding that the killing of human beings anywhere was rejected. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country stands in solidarity with Australia following the attack.
In Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the shooting, conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, including the police personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his condolences and said Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and stood in solidarity with the people and government of Australia.
A major Australian Muslim organization also condemned the shooting as “horrible”, while the head of the Australian Jewish Association described the attack as a tragedy and said the government had been warned about threats to the Jewish community.
