Bondi Beach, Sydney - Australia, Chanukah event shooting

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Posted 2025-12-14 10:06:11

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The invitation to the Hanukkah event at the Chabad house, which according to reports was the target of the shooting

Reports indicate that ten were murdered, 60 people have been wounded and 20 people are still missing

Blood-stained tzitzit have been discovered at the scene. There are reports that one of the Chabad workers was murdered.

New footage just released shows medics performing CPR on multiple victims, and one person dead on the ground.

Authorities have described it as a "developing incident."

This is a fast-moving situation.

One shooter has reportedly been eliminated and another armed suspect has been arrested at the scene. Open Source Intel is reporting that both of them are dead.

World leaders react to deadly Chanukah attack in Sydney

Israel accuses Australia of letting Jew-hatred fester, some leaders offer condolences without naming antisemitism

World leaders offered varied reactions to Sunday’s terrorist attack against Jews in Sydney, ranging from offering general condolences, including by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to accusing the Australian government of allowing antisemitic hatred to fester, as alleged by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

Following the attack by at least two shooters on participants in a Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach, in which at least 10 people were killed, Sa’ar wrote on X: “These are the results of the antisemitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the antisemitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalize the Intifada’ that were realized today. The Australian government, which received countless warning signs, must come to its senses!”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee endorsed Sa’ar’s remarks, writing on X: “Horrific attack in Australia. Gideon Saar and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs [have] it right.”

Sa’ar also criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s initial reaction to the attack, parts of which were seen in videos posted online. “Words you will not find in the PM statement: Jews. Antisemitism. Terror,” Sa’ar wrote.

Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for Diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, reposted criticism to the same effect. Albanese, the leader of the Australian Labor Party and a critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, had written: “The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.” He added details about his office’s liaison with the police.

Sa’ar also criticized Starmer’s laconic reaction to the massacre, who had written: “Deeply distressing news from Australia. The United Kingdom sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone affected by the appalling attack in Bondi Beach. I’m being kept updated on the developing situation.” Sa’ar replied: “Distinguished PM, the terror attack targeted Jews.”

Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, wrote in a statement: “Absolutely horrified to see the images emerging of the appalling attack on so many people on Bondi Beach as Hannukkah celebrations began in Sydney. All my thoughts are with the victims and the wider Jewish community in Australia and beyond. This light will not be extinguished.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon published a statement similar to that of his Australian counterpart, writing, “I am shocked by the distressing scenes at Bondi, a place that Kiwis visit every day. My thoughts, and the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those affected.” He mentioned how New Zealanders and Australians are “family,” but did not mention Jews.

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote on X: “The events at Bondi Beach are an absolute atrocity. A horror for the victims and a massive escalation of the hatred directed at Australia’s Jewish community. There should be no place in Australia for the kind of evil we’ve seen this evening.”

French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged in a statement about the attack that it was “an antisemitic terrorist attack” at a Chanukah celebration. “France extends its thoughts to the victims, the injured and their loved ones. We share the pain of the Australian people and will continue to fight relentlessly against antisemitic hatred, which hurts us all, wherever it strikes,” he wrote.

António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, whom Israel has accused of “antisemitic behavior” following his support for singling out Israel for condemnation, while failing to condemn attacks against it, wrote: “I am horrified and condemn today’s heinous, deadly attack on Jewish families gathered in Sydney to celebrate Hannukah.”

Guterres added: “My heart is with the Jewish community worldwide on this first day of Hannukah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz tweeted on Sunday morning that Chanukah menorahs, “which are lit in homes and on squares, are a sign of hope and confidence. Let us let their light shine together.” He did not mention the attack in the post...