On the evening of December 14, 2025, Bondi Beach was struck by tragedy when gunfire erupted during a Hanukkah celebration hosted by Chabad of Bondi. The attack unfolded at Archer Park near the Bondi Pavilion shortly after 6:45 p.m., where more than 1,000 people had gathered for the community event. New South Wales Police have formally classified the incident as terrorism, underscoring its deliberate targeting of the Jewish community.
Authorities confirmed that 12 people lost their lives, among them one of the assailants who was killed in a confrontation with police. A second gunman was critically wounded and taken into custody. Investigators also discovered improvised explosive devices inside a nearby vehicle, which were safely neutralized. In addition, 29 individuals were hospitalized, including two police officers and several children.
Witness accounts describe the attackers dressed in black, firing from a pedestrian bridge overlooking the park. Victims died from multiple gunshot wounds. Amid the chaos, a bystander tackled and disarmed one of the shooters, an act officials have praised as preventing further casualties. While minors were among the injured, no children were confirmed among the deceased.
Law enforcement identified one of the gunmen as Naveed Akram, a resident of Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest. Police raided his home as part of the ongoing investigation. The second shooter’s identity has not yet been publicly released. Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, whose death has deeply shaken the local Jewish community.
Details about most victims remain limited, as identification continues and families request privacy. The event, titled “Chanukah by the Sea,” marked the first night of Hanukkah and drew families from across Sydney.
Australian leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns, condemned the attack as a manifestation of antisemitic violence. They urged unity and calm in the aftermath, noting the rarity of gun violence in Australia and the heightened security concerns now facing communities nationwide.
