In what Australian authorities have unequivocally declared a terrorist attack targeting its local Jewish community, the grim toll from the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening has been confirmed by the nation’s New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns as 12 fatalities, including one police officer and one of the two gunmen.
The shooting, which targeted a Hanukkah celebration, has been officially classified as a terrorist incident by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.
The latest information from police and government officials reveals the shocking extent of the coordinated attack, which has seen12 confirmed dead. This includes 10 civilian victims (among them British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger), one police officer (who was the first responder at the scene), and one of the two gunmen who was fatally shot by police.
A total of 29 people are being treated in various hospitals for injuries sustained, including two police officers. While one gunman was killed by police, and the second gunman is in police custody and reported to be in critical condition.
Specialist police units, including the rescue bomb disposal unit, were called in to neutralize several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in a car linked to the deceased offender near the beach.
The Attack: A Targeted Act of Terror
The nature of the attack points strongly to religious and ideological motivation. The shooting occurred during the “Chanukah by the Sea” event, marking the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as a “targeted attack on Jewish Australians” and an “act of evil antisemitism, terrorism.”
Dramatic footage from the scene showed a civilian heroically tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before being shot himself. Premier Minns hailed the unidentified man as a “genuine hero.”
The NSW Police Commissioner has invoked special powers and confirmed that the counter-terrorism command is leading the investigation, and they are actively probing the possibility of a third offender or additional accomplices.
This tragic event is being called the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, challenging the nation’s stringent gun control laws and raising global alarm over the rise of antisemitic violence.
