Two armed men opened fire on a crowd gathered at Bondi Beach (Sydney, Australia) during celebrations of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The attack, which police have described as an act of terrorism aimed at the Jewish community, killed at least 12 people, including one of the attackers, and wounded 29 others. The incident caused panic among beachgoers and participants of the „Hanukkah by the Sea” event, where hundreds of people were celebrating the start of the Jewish festival of lights.
What happened
The attack took place today, at around 7:00 p.m. local time, when two people armed with automatic weapons, including an Israeli-made IWI Negev machine gun, began shooting at those gathered. According to witnesses, the attackers fired more than 50 rounds, causing chaos on the beach and in the nearby car park. People fled in panic, taking cover behind cars or in nearby restaurants. One video from the scene shows the moment the crowd hears gunfire and starts running, shouting: „They’re shooting, get down!” The New South Wales (NSW) Police Force responded quickly, cordoning off the area and evacuating the vicinity.
One of the attackers was shot dead by officers at the scene, while the other, seriously wounded, was taken to hospital in critical condition. An improvised explosive device (IED) was found in the suspects’ vehicle, further confirming the terrorist nature of the attack. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press conference that the incident was „deliberately targeted at the Jewish community” and constitutes „an act of terrorism”. The state premier condemned the attack as „an act of hatred” and called for solidarity with the victims.
A passerby’s heroic act
Amid the chaos, one ordinary citizen stood out with a heroic act. Ahmed El Ahmad, a Muslim owner of a fruit shop, without hesitation threw himself at one of the attackers, subduing him and wresting away his weapon. Surveillance footage shows El Ahmad attacking the armed man near a rubbish bin in the car park, wrestling with him on the ground. The hero was shot twice – in the arm and hand – and underwent surgery. Witnesses describe him as „a hard-working man with no experience with weapons” who saved the lives of many people. „I want to buy this man a beer. My country is broken!” wrote one internet user on X. El Ahmad has become a symbol of courage, and his deed is being praised by media around the world.
Mass shootings are extremely rare in Australia thanks to strict gun laws introduced after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where 35 people were killed. This incident, the first so serious in years, raises concerns about a rise in antisemitism. The attack came shortly after another incident – the arson of a synagogue in Melbourne, also treated as an act of terrorism. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the event, stating: „There is no place for antisemitism in the world. We pray for the victims, the Jewish community and the Australian nation.”
The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration.
Antisemitism has no place in this world. Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also commented on the matter, writing on X:
„I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Antisemitism, wherever it appears, leads to criminal acts. Today Poland stands in solidarity with Australia in this moment of grief.”
My deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Antisemitism, wherever it appears, leads to acts of crime. Today, Poland stands with Australia in this moment of grief.
Conspiracy theories have appeared online, including claims of a supposed „false attack” and a rise in Google searches for the perpetrator’s name before the incident, but there is no evidence for these from credible sources.
Update: According to ABC News, one of the attackers is named Naveed Akram.
BREAKING:
ABC News confirms that one of the terrorist’s name is Naveed Akram.
10 people were killed in today’s terrorist attack against a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney. Mass-immigration to the West vastly increases the risk of Islamist terrorist attack in West. pic.twitter.com/R8CbqHQ3Yy
Tomasz Kamiński, redaktor serwisu DigitalNexus.pl. Zajmuje się tematyką show-biznesową i rozrywką. Ukończył dziennikarstwo i medioznawstwo na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim. W wolnym czasie gra w gry, jest fanatykiem Call of Duty. W temacie gier pisze od 2008 roku.
