At least 16 people have been killed in a shooting near a Jewish gathering at Sydney's Bondi Beach, police confirmed. The attack, which occurred during a Hanukkah festival, has been condemned globally as an antisemitic act.
US President Donald Trump described the attack as 'terrible' and 'purely antisemitic,' while FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is providing assistance to Australian authorities. Israel's ZAKA volunteer emergency response organization is sending a dozen personnel to Sydney to aid in victim recovery and forensic analysis.
Shadow Attorney General Andrew Wallace said investigations are underway into how the attacker obtained weapons, which he believed were semiautomatic shotguns. He called for strong leadership on gun laws and antisemitism from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
International condemnation has come from Lebanon and Palestine, with both countries expressing solidarity with Australia and rejecting all forms of violence and extremism. Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized the Albanese government over the incident.
Arsen Ostrovsky, who was injured in the attack, described it as a miracle he survived. 'Bullet grazed my head. Doctors said miracle survived, but will make recovery,' he wrote on X. He had returned to Australia from Israel two weeks prior to combat antisemitism.
