Two gunmen killed 15 people during a terror attack on the first night of Hanukkah
Sydney paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack ahead of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Residents and visitors held a moment of silence one hour before midnight as an image of a menorah was projected onto the side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Thousands of people held their illuminated phones in the air in remembrance of the 15 people killed by two gunmen in a mass shooting targeting Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah on Dec. 14.
The shooting transpired during an event marking the first night of Hanukkah attended by more than 1,000 people. The two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, resulting in 15 people dead and 40 people injured. Among those killed in the mass shooting were British-born rabbi Eli Schlanger and Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman. The victims also included a 10-year-old child.
One shooter, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, died on the scene. The second, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was charged after waking from a coma in a Sydney hospital. Akram was charged with 59 offenses, including 15 charges of murder. The charges include one count of murder for each fatality, one count of committing a terrorist act, and 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder. Akram will next face the court on April 8, 2026.
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The Bondi Beach attack marked the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since 1996, when 35 people were killed in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Following that attack, Australia introduced some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. From 2023 to 2024, Australia recorded only 31 firearm deaths countrywide. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has since confirmed he is looking into how to tighten the existing gun control laws in the country.
The attack has raised questions about the state of antisemitism in Australia. Albanese released a video message following the shooting, saying, “As prime minister, I say on behalf of all Australians to the Jewish community, ‘We stand with you.’” He called the attack an “act of evil antisemitism.”
