Australia pledges stricter gun laws after deadly Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack

Australia vowed stricter gun laws on Monday as it began mourning victims of its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years, in which police accused a father-and-son duo of killing 16 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

Police identified the attackers as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Sajid was killed at the scene, while Naveed remained in critical condition in hospital. Around 40 people were taken to hospital, including two police officers, with victims ranging in age from 10 to 87. One child later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as roughly 1,000 attendees fled along the sand and nearby streets. Two flags linked to the Islamic State were reportedly found in the gunmen’s vehicle. Videos from the scene suggest the men used a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sydney fruit shop owner, tackled and disarmed one of the attackers before being shot twice. He underwent surgery and has since received more than A$1 million (US$665,000) in donations from a fundraising page launched for him.

Among those killed were:

• Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, recently father to his fifth child.
• Dan Elkayam, a French national in his late twenties working in Sydney for NBC Universal.
• Matilda, a 10-year-old primary school student.
• Reuven Morrison, a member of the Chabad community who split his time between Melbourne and Sydney.
• Alex Kleytman, 87, a Holocaust survivor.
• Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, secretary of Sydney Jewish religious organisation Beth Din.
• Tibor Weitzen, who was fatally wounded shielding his wife.

Community response

Bondi Beach was quiet on Monday, with makeshift memorials, flowers, and candles placed near the pavilion, draped with Israeli and Australian flags. Police and private Jewish security patrolled the area, while mental health teams assisted residents.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism,” and vowed to strengthen Australia’s already strict gun laws. Measures under consideration include curbs on open-ended licences, limits on weapons held by a single person, and tighter controls on weapon types and modifications.

“People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalised over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity,” Albanese said.

International reaction

World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, offered condolences. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly warned Albanese that Australia’s support for Palestinian statehood could fuel antisemitism.

Historical context

Mass shootings are rare in Australia. The last incident on this scale was the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, when 35 people were killed. Sunday’s shootings were also the most serious in a string of antisemitic attacks since October 2023, following tensions around Israel and Gaza.

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, Schlanger’s brother-in-law, said: “We need to step up at a time like this ... The Australian community will help us do it.”

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