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What we know so far about Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting

Twelve people have died - including one gunman - following a shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.

According to police, 29 others were taken to hospital and two officers were shot during the incident, which has since been declared a terror attack by officials. The surviving gunman is in a critical condition.

More than 1,000 people were attending an event on the beach celebrating Hanukkah.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said: "Our heart bleeds for Australia's Jewish community tonight.

"I can only imagine the pain that they're feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday".

Mass shootings in Australia are very rare, and the attack at Bondi is the deadliest incident in the country since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 when 35 people were killed by a lone gunman.

Here's what we know so far:


Apart from police confirming one gunman as dead, details on who has been killed and injured are sparse.

Twelve people including one of the armed men have been confirmed dead by police. Another gunman is said to be in a critical condition.

Officials say 29 other people were taken to hospital, and two officers were also shot during the incident.

One eyewitness, Barry, was attending the Hanukkah event on Bondi when with his children when he heard gunshots.

He told the BBC he saw two men on a bridge shooting towards the crowd.

He said there were bodies on the ground. He and his children were able to escape with a friend in a car, he added.

Police have declared Sunday's shooting a terror attack.

An exclusion zone has been set up around the scene as police use specialist equipment to check improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in a car linked to the dead gunman, and police are still urging the public to avoid the area."

"No stone will be left unturned" in the investigation, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said during a press conference.

He said police would not release any information about the gunmen at this time, and urged for calm while police carry out their duties, adding that this was "not a time for retribution".

Mr Lanyon also said police had been "aware" of one of the alleged suspects but they had "very, very little knowledge" of him.

Police said they cannot confirm if there was a third gunman involved or if there was anyone else involved in the attack, but enquires are ongoing.

Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess later said it was too early to give any details about whether the men were on the security services' radars, before adding: "One of these individuals was known to us but not [from] an immediate threat perspective so obviously we need to look at what happened."

During a televised address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Bondi Beach shooting "an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation".

"We have seen Australians today run towards dangers in order to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives", he added.

What is Hannukah?
Hanukkah, or Chanukah in Hebrew, is the Jewish festival of light.

The word Hanukkah means 'dedication' and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.

The dates of Hanukkah change every year, but it will always fall in November or December and lasts for eight days.

An event to mark the first day of the celebration was taking place on Bondi Beach at the time of the shooting.

A digital flyer for the event, named Chanuka by the Sea 2025, shows it was scheduled to take place near the beach's children's playground from 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Organised by Jewish centre Chabad of Bondi, the event was set to feature live entertainment and activities "for all ages". Around 1,000 people were said to be in attendance.

Ahmad Al Ahmad, a Muslim father of two in Sydney, intervened during the shooting, seized the gunman's weapon, and helped stop the attack despite having no firearms training.

Read more: http://en.royanews.tv/news/65740

Really?? Thank God for life

Islam is a threat to humanity

Arda1000:
Islam is a threat to humanity

Those that exported Africans under chains to Europe and America were Christians. They don’t even want you to exist as humans

Well planned....

Both of them should be investigated, .

....you guys should go shoot those unbelievers I too a Muslim will come and apprehend you so that while they are blaming Islam for the shooting they will also praise a Muslim for the heroic intervention.....Ok..

But no shoot me where I go die oh...I don tell you!

ww.Takiyya.com

APCNig:
Those that exported Africans under chains to Europe and America were Christians. They don’t even want you to exist as humans

thanks but I still prefer them to jihadists

APCNig:
Those that exported Africans under chains to Europe and America were Christians. They don’t even want you to exist as humans

Normal normal , those guys wr rogues who did those atrocities under the covering of Christianity... Real Christians weren't really involved...

Real and genuine Christians helped and moved to abolish slave trade

I watched the video. That guy is a mad lad. He crept up on the shooter, overpowered him and seized his gun. He pointed the gun at the shooter but didn't shoot since he had no knowledge of guns.
One of the shooters on the overhead bridge ahead saw him and sent some bullets his way. Ahmad accommodated some bullets in his arms though the doctor thinks the bullets need to be removed. He underwent surgery some hours back.

A good Muslim stops a bad Muslim.

This is a good Muslim, perhaps years of living in Australia has whipped off all traces of intolerance inculcated in him from childhood.

A very brave man.

The man is not a Muslim as falsely circulated by bigots. His name is Edward Crabtree. Google it.

joeyswift:
The man is not a Muslim as falsely circulated by bigots. His name is Edward Crabtree. Google it.

He is a Syrian Muslim named Ahmed AlAhmed

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-15/bondi-beach-shooting-fruit-shop-gunman-hero-parents-speak/106143864

Arda1000:
thanks but I still prefer them to jihadists

Yes, a slave will always be a slave

APCNig:
Yes, a slave will always be a slave

I rather be a slave to Christianity than Islam,not that am any but between two bad i rather go for the lesser evil