Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, with more than 40 injured, when a father and son opened fire at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. The total death toll is 16, including one gunman.
More than two dozen people remain in hospital, including the man who disarmed one of the shooters. Thirteen people are in a critical condition and 12 are stable.
Australian federal, state and territory governments have agreed to strengthen gun law reform after a national cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon.
Overnight, vigils took place around the world in memory of those killed. The Sydney Opera House was also illuminated with a Hanukkah menorah.
Live: Government criticised after Bondi shooting
The ABC has been able to identify nine of the 15 victims of the terror attack in Sydney on Sunday.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has responded to a reports in the Daily Telegraph that the two gunman travelled to the Philippines for a month in the lead up to the attack, where Islamic State has a presence.
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, Mr Burke sidestepped that question but said Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) made an assessment more than half a decade ago that the younger gunman wasn’t radicalised. “Since that time, there was a radical change in the risk profile of that individual.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says police are waiting to question the younger gunman involved.
Naveed Akram, 24, is in hospital under police guard after being wounded in a shootout with police in which his father, 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was killed.
He was one of two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the first day of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday evening. At least 1,000 people were in attendance.
Mr Albanese convened an urgent meeting of national cabinet on Monday afternoon, where premiers and first ministers unanimously agreed to bolster rules around gun ownership.
Only Australian citizens would be able to hold a firearm licence under stronger gun laws being considered by states and territories in the wake of the attack.
An independent investigation into the attack has been flagged by the NSW premier Chris Minns, who conceded the government would have responded differently if it had its time again.
The incident has been declared a terrorist attack by NSW Police, with federal authorities also joining the investigation.Â
One of the ABC’s reporters described the inside of a Sydney hospital responding to the attack as being “like a war zone”.Â
World leaders have expressed their horror, while the FBI is pledging to assist Australian agencies.
Footage verified by the ABC shows a member of the public, fruit shop owner Ahmed Al Ahmed, wrestling a shotgun out of the hands of one of the attackers. Mr Minns says the act saved lives.
Loading…Australian leaders respond
Mr Albanese condemned the Bondi Beach terror attack as an “act of evil antisemitism” targeting Australia’s Jewish community, declaring the nation will never submit to “division, violence or hatred”.
The prime minister vowed to “eradicate” the hate that fuelled the deadly mass shooting at a Chanukah by the Sea event on Sunday evening and defended his government’s response to rising antisemitism in Australia.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the attack was an attack on the Jewish community and will be “burnt in the nation’s soul”.
“Australians will remember where they were on the day of the Bondi massacre and they will remember the feelings of overwhelming disbelief and shock that they felt,” Ley said.
“Those who saw the murderous massacre firsthand and lost loved ones will be changed forever.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said his community is grieving and still coming to terms with the attack.
“We have to work out what to say to our children,” he told ABC News channel.
Read more: Prime Minister proposes strengthening Australia’s strict gun laws in wake of Bondi terror attackRead more: Jewish community leaders say ‘things can’t go back to normal’ after deadly Bondi attackAsia Pacific responds
Leaders from around the region were quick to respond with condolences and sympathy.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X he strongly condemned the attack, adding: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Australia in this hour of grief.”
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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said: “There can be no justification for violence directed at civilians, still less for attacks that single people out on the basis of race or religion, at any time or in any place. Such acts have no basis in any faith or belief.”
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Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said “the loss felt in Sydney is also felt in Papua New Guinea”.
“This senseless act of violence has taken innocent lives and caused immense pain to families, friends and the wider Australian community. Papua New Guinea stands in solidarity with Australia at this difficult time, sharing in your grief and mourning alongside you,” he said.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said: Â “I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and all those affected by the horrific attack at Bondi Beach. Taiwan strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and stands with the people of Australia & the Jewish community during this difficult time.”
Other world leaders joined in condemnation and shock at the carnage. Britain’s King Charles said: “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so dreadfully, including the police officers who were injured while protecting members of their community.”
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Mr Albanese for the attack, saying: “Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent and do not act.”
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Posted 1h ago1 hours agoMon 15 Dec 2025 at 10:33pm, updated 17m ago17 minutes agoMon 15 Dec 2025 at 11:23pm