Health workers put a patient into an ambulance after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 14, 2025. (Credit: Saeed Khan/AFP)
Two individuals opened fire on a crowd celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Sunday at the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing 11 people and wounding 29 others, in what authorities described as a “terrorist” and “antisemitic” act.
One of the two attackers was killed, while the other was wounded and is in critical condition, according to police in the state of New South Wales.
“This attack targeted Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” said state Premier Chris Minns during a press conference. It was a “terrorist act,” said state police chief Mal Lanyon. “We discovered an improvised explosive device in a vehicle linked to the deceased attacker,” he added.
According to police, the attack occurred around 6:45 p.m. (07:45 GMT) on Sunday at Bondi Beach, Australia’s most famous beach, which is usually crowded on weekends with walkers, swimmers, and surfers.
“We heard the gunshots. It was shocking … ten minutes of nonstop gunfire. It sounded like a powerful weapon,” Camilo Diaz, a 25-year-old Chilean student, told AFP at the scene.
‘Antisemitism is a cancer’
“There was a shooting, two gunmen dressed in black and armed with semi-automatic rifles,” another witness, British tourist Timothy Brant-Coles, told AFP.
“Evil was unleashed on Bondi Beach beyond all comprehension,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who praised the “heroes” who intervened during the attack to try to subdue the attackers.
A video circulating on social media shows a bystander rushing one of the assailants and managing to wrest his rifle away.
“This was a targeted attack against Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith — a malicious, antisemitic, and terrorist act that struck at the heart of our nation,” Albanese continued. “An attack on Australian Jews is an attack on all Australians,” he added.
“At this very moment, our brothers and sisters in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by despicable terrorists in a cruel assault against Jews who had gone to Bondi Beach to light the first Hanukkah candle,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a speech delivered at an event in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted by recalling that he had previously accused the Australian government of “adding fuel to the fire of antisemitism” ahead of Sunday’s shooting, referring to a letter sent to Albanese in August following Canberra’s announcement of its decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
‘Blood everywhere’
“Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders remain silent and fail to act,” Netanyahu said during a televised speech delivered at an event in southern Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, for his part, called on his Australian counterpart Penny Wong to “act firmly” against antisemitism.
From the grassy hill overlooking the beach, an AFP journalist saw numerous objects abandoned in panic by people fleeing the shooting, including a baby stroller. National broadcaster ABC showed images of several people lying on the grass near the beach, as well as a rifle resting against a tree trunk. There was “blood everywhere,” local resident Harry Wilson told ABC.
As night fell, the usually festive and noisy neighborhood was evacuated, armed police sealing off lively streets, nightclub lights giving way to the flashing sirens of emergency vehicles. The Australian National Imams Council condemned the “traumatizing attack.” “This is a moment for all Australians, including the Australian Muslim community, to stand together in unity, compassion, and solidarity,” the organization added.
A series of antisemitic attacks has sown fear among Australia’s Jewish communities since Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza.
The Australian government has accused Iran of being behind two of those attacks and expelled Tehran’s ambassador nearly four months ago. No casualties were reported in those incidents. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned Sunday’s attack in Sydney, which left 11 dead and 29 injured.
International reactions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his country’s “solidarity” on X “in the face of the brutal terrorist attack … that targeted the Jewish community at the start of Hanukkah.”
France “shares the pain of the Australian people and will continue to fight relentlessly against antisemitic hatred that wounds us all, wherever it strikes,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “repugnant” on X, adding that “The United Kingdom sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone affected by the appalling attack in Bondi beach.”
“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,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “horrified” and strongly condemned the “odious and deadly attack” against “Jewish families gathered in Sydney to celebrate Hanukkah.”
“We condemn the violent attack in Sydney … Terrorism and the killing of human beings, wherever they occur, are rejected and condemned,” wrote Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on X.
Qatar reaffirmed its “firm position” against “violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of their motives or reasons.”
Saudi Arabia condemned the “terrorist attack,” reiterating its stance against “all forms of violence, terrorism, and extremism.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was “speechless”: “This is an attack on our shared values. We must put an end to antisemitism — here in Germany and throughout the world.”
King Charles III, Australia’s head of state, said on Sunday he was “horrified” by the deadly shooting in Sydney, calling it a “horrific antisemitic terrorist attack against Jews.”
“By once again strongly condemning all forms of violence and antisemitism, Italy expresses its condolences to the victims and stands close to their loved ones, the injured, and the Jewish community, while renewing its friendship with the Australian people,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X, expressing her “deep sorrow.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “shocked” and denounced an “appalling act of violence against the Jewish community.” “We stand united against violence, antisemitism, and hatred,” she said.
“On this first day of Hanukkah, we mourn the victims of the terrible shooting that took place in Sydney. Antisemitism has no place in our societies, and we must fight it with unwavering determination. Always,” said Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
“We strongly condemn the antisemitic attack carried out in Australia. We must work tirelessly to eradicate antisemitism and terrorism. They have no place in our society,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin stated that “such hatred and violence can under no circumstances be tolerated.”
