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Hanukkah celebration turns deadly at Bondi Beach
Sydney's Bondi Beach became the scene of Australia's deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades on Sunday when gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah festival, killing at least 11 people and injuring over two dozen others.
Attack unfolds amid festive gathering
More than 1,000 people had gathered on a grassy area near the beach for a Hanukkah event, with children playing, families enjoying food trucks, and live entertainment under warm evening skies. Around 7 p.m., gunfire erupted from a footbridge adjacent to a children's playground, sending panicked crowds fleeing in all directions.
Witness Barry described the chaos to the BBC: "It was pandemonium and chaos. In today's day and age, that families and kids on Bondi could be completely mowed down for being Jewish is simply unbelievable."
A parked car containing improvised explosives was discovered near the scene, though the devices did not detonate. One bystander was hailed as a hero after tackling an attacker and disarming him, as shown in viral footage.
Police confirm terrorist motive amid rising antisemitism
New South Wales Police swiftly classified the attack as terrorism. Two gunmen were neutralized-one shot dead by police, the other critically injured in hospital-and authorities are investigating whether a third accomplice was involved. The attackers' identities and exact motives remain unclear, though one was previously known to law enforcement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence as "an act of evil antisemitism," linking it to a surge in anti-Jewish incidents in Australia since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza. Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, criticized Australia's government for failing to address the growing threat, with Sa'ar writing on X: "The Australian government, which received countless warning signs, must come to its senses!"
Community reels from unprecedented violence
Jewish leaders expressed profound shock and fear. Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News the attack realized the community's "worst fears," while the Australia Jewish Association's Robert Gregory said many were questioning their future in the country. The Jewish Council of Australia called the timing-during the festival of Hanukkah-"shattering."
Police urged the public to avoid speculation about victims or perpetrators, with NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon warning against retribution or sharing graphic footage online. The area around Bondi was locked down as helicopters circled and emergency vehicles flooded the scene.
Australia confronts rare mass violence
The attack marks the country's deadliest shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which prompted sweeping gun control reforms. Since then, mass shootings have been exceedingly rare in Australia, with most recent incidents tied to domestic violence rather than public terrorism.
Residents struggled to reconcile the violence with Bondi's reputation as a symbol of Australia's safety and laid-back culture. The tragedy echoed last year's mass stabbing at nearby Bondi Junction, with many repeating the same stunned refrain: "This sort of thing just doesn't happen here."
"To be confronted with this horrific act of antisemitic violence during the Jewish festival of light and hope is shattering."
Jewish Council of Australia
