Hanukkah celebrations in Australia have been targeted by sophisticated terrorist attacks. Here’s what you need to know.
Eleven people died in the back The shots were aimed at those attending a Jewish community event on Sunday at Australia’s Bondi Beach. Another 29 people were hospitalized with injuries, including a child and two police officers, according to police. Another protester who took part in the shooting was also killed.
Australian authorities and international leaders condemned it as a sophisticated terrorist attack.
Police say they expect the death toll to rise. Here’s what we know so far.
Gunfire broke out at a Hanukkah meeting
The attack took place during the Jewish holiday celebration to mark the first day of Hanukkah. More than 1,000 people were on the beach, in the Sydney suburb, when the gun went off, said South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Layon, officially declaring a “terrorist incident.”
A number of Australian authorities have simulated the shooting as a target. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said it was “designed to guide Sydney’s Jewish community.”
“This is a targeted attack on Australian Jews on the first day of Hanukkah – a time of joy – an act of evil thinking,” Australian prime minister Anthony Alvune said at a news conference.
Video Fook recorded by residents shows mobs of seafarers fleeing the area as gunfire goes off in the background.
At least two suspects
Australian authorities have said at least two suspected gunmen are suspected of carrying out the deadly shooting, which comes from an unusual country in a country where gun violence is not uncommon. No survivors have been named, but Lanyon said the dead suspect was previously known to New South Wales police. The Commissioner also says officials are investigating whether a “third party” was involved.
One of the suspects was killed at the scene of the attack, Lanyon said, while the other was hospitalized with serious injuries. The surviving gunman was taken into custody.
A man has been hailed as a hero and commended by the Police Commissioner for confronting one suspect and stopping him in a Dramatic Video Fook recorded on Campbell Parade, the main street covering Bondi Beach. While busy, the man could be seen hiding behind a parked car before fighting with the suspect and taking his weapon.
Police found explosive devices
Shortly after the shooting occurred, officers who responded to the scene found a vehicle found on Campbell Parade and believed there were several explosive devices inside, Lanyon said. This car was linked to the deceased activist, according to the police commissioner. A bomb disposal rescue team was on the scene.
The rise of antisemitism in Australia
Although Australia rarely finds dead bodies, after implementing strict gun control laws after the 1996 massacre in Tasmania’s Port Arthur, antisemitic incidents It has been on the rise in the country since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023.
The Australian government appointed special envoys in 2024 to tackle gun violence, and Islamophobia, in its communities. But the attack had happened this year. Another, in July, involved a protester setting fire to the entrance of a synagogue in Melbourne, while worshipers were inside.
