Muslim gunmen attack Jewish Hanukkah event in Sydney, 15 killed

Muslim gunmen attack Jewish Hanukkah event in Sydney, 12 killed — Muslim gunmen attack a Jewish Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 15 people, December 14, 2025. Photo: Video/X/via iKurd.net.

Pakistani father and son responsible for deadly Bondi mass shooting, Australian police say

SYDNEY,— At least 15 people were killed and nearly 30 others injured after Muslim gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, Australian authorities said, describing the incident as a terrorist attack.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press briefing that one of the suspected gunmen was killed at the scene, while another remained in critical condition. Among the 29 people sent to hospitals were two police officers.

Australian police said Monday that the two gunmen responsible for a deadly attack at a Jewish celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son of Pakistani origin, as the country mourned its worst outbreak of gun violence in nearly three decades.

Authorities identified the suspects as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Police said the elder Akram was shot and killed by officers at the scene during Sunday’s attack, bringing the total number of deaths to 16. His son was critically wounded and taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.

Officials said about 40 people were injured during the shooting.

Authorities were investigating whether a third suspect had been involved in the shooting. Lanyon added that a bomb disposal unit was working to secure several suspected improvised explosive devices discovered near the scene.

Muslim gunmen Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, attack a Jewish Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 15 people, December 14, 2025. Photo: Video/X via iKurd.net.

Mike Burgess, Australia’s top intelligence official, told reporters that one of the suspected attackers was already known to authorities, although the individual had not been considered an immediate threat.

Since the war in Gaza began following radical Islamist group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, Australia has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents.

Sunday’s shooting was the most serious among those cases, which have included attacks on synagogues, residential buildings, and vehicles, according to authorities.

Mass shootings are uncommon in Australia, which is considered one of the world’s safest countries. Officials said Sunday’s attack was the deadliest since 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people at a tourist site in Tasmania.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened a meeting of the national security council and condemned the attack as incomprehensible.

“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy and celebration of faith,” he said. Albanese added that authorities were working to identify anyone connected to the violence.

Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene at Bondi Beach, which drew hundreds of attendees for the Hanukkah event.

The shooting lasted roughly 10 minutes, sending people fleeing along the sand and into nearby streets and parks. Police estimated about 1,000 people were at the gathering.

Marcos Carvalho, 38, a resident of Bondi Junction, told reporters he had been preparing to leave when the gunfire began. “We all panicked and started running. We left everything behind, like our shoes and bags,” he said. “I must have heard maybe 40 or 50 shots.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the attack an assault by “vile terrorists” on people lighting the first candle of Hanukkah.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the Australian government, saying officials should have acted on repeated warnings about rising antisemitic activity.

Saar said the shooting reflected a broader pattern of antisemitic violence in Australia over the past two years, noting the circulation of slogans such as “Globalise the Intifada.”

Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most popular tourist spots, is usually crowded with locals and visitors.

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News that the scale of the attack was unprecedented. He added that his media adviser was among those wounded.

Some witnesses reported seeing civilians intervene during the attack. Bondi resident Grace Mathew said she saw people running in panic before realizing there was an active shooter.

Videos circulating on social media showed a man in a black shirt firing a weapon before being tackled by a bystander wearing a white T-shirt.

Another man was seen firing from a pedestrian bridge. Other footage showed police detaining two men on a bridge, attempting to revive one of them.

Pakistani Muslim gunman Naveed Akram attacks a Jewish Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 15 people, December 14, 2025. Photo: Daily mail video

Muslim groups in Australia condemned the attack, emphasizing that such acts have no place in society.

In a joint statement, the Australian National Imams Council, the Council of Imams NSW, and the Australian Muslim community expressed sympathy for the victims and their families and called for the perpetrators to face justice.

According to critics, Muslims kill people around the world and then claim to be victims, while arguing that such violence has nothing to do with Islam, despite interpretations that call for the killing of all non-Muslims.

The incident occurred almost 11 years after a lone gunman held 18 people hostage at Sydney’s Lindt Cafe. That standoff ended with the deaths of two hostages and the attacker.

Sussan Ley, leader of Australia’s opposition Liberal Party, said the country was in mourning. “Hateful violence has struck at the heart of an iconic Australian community, a place we all know so well and love, Bondi,” she said.

Authorities continue to investigate the shooting, search for possible accomplices, and determine whether additional threats remain in the area.

The attack has intensified concerns over antisemitic violence in Australia, particularly in light of ongoing tensions related to the conflict in Gaza.

(With files from Reuters)