Bondi Beach Shooting: Terror Attack & Casualties

The Jewish Council of Australia says it is “horrified and shaken” after the attack.

“Many within our community have just received the worst news of their lives,” it said in a statement.

“We should all be able to gather with our communities, practise our culture, and worship in safety,” Bart Shteinman, an executive member with the council said.

“Our hearts are with our friends, family, fellow community members and everyone impacted by this terrifying event.”

“In moments like this, we hold each other close,” Sarah Schwartz, an executive officer, said.

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) also said it was “horrified”.

“We have warned for years that the unceasing antisemitic vitriol on our streets would evolve into antisemitic violence if left unchecked,” AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said.

“We have warned that verbal abuse becomes graffiti, becomes arson, becomes physical violence, becomes murder. We have begged our political leaders to stop offering just sentiments and start providing real effective action. And now we have murdered Jews at a Jewish community function.”

An Israeli citizen was among the 12 killed in the Bondi terror attack, according to the country’s foreign ministry.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is also speaking now — we’ll bring you his comments shortly.

First responders were faced with serious danger at Bondi Beach and this clip illustrates how significant the threat was.

This video shows one of the shooters taking aim at an officer, who is forced to take cover behind a car.

Two people, who appear to be members of the public, are also taking cover from the fire.

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Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett has told the ABC’s Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran his heart is broken but “we’re not surprised”, while criticising the Australian government’s handling of antisemitism.

“The writing was on the wall and we’ve seen a wave of antisemitism in Australia, and we’ve also seen a very feeble response from the Australian leadership,” he said.

“We time and again said that this would happen and not much was done. We have to fight antisemitism so this can never happen again.”

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Mr Bennett criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s initial statements about the attack, saying it did not mention motive.

“Does anyone in the world think that this has to do with something else? We all know what it is. We all know the Jewish community is under attack.

“I’m not suggesting that he [Albanese] needs to talk about the particular perpetrators, even though there’s gathering information about them, but there is a context here.

“And this is very symbolic of the past two years and the weakness and the closing shutting your eyes against evil. Evil happens when good people sit aside and allow evil to happen.”

He said this “can be a turning point for the Australian government to say enough is enough”.

With reports of the Bondi attack varyingly describing it as having happened at a beach, at a park, on a playground and on a bridge, I can imagine it might be a bit confusing to visualise where the incident actually took place.

The ABC’s Digital Story Innovations team produced several maps earlier this evening that clearly lay out what happpened where:

You can read their full breakdown of how the attack unfolded at the link below.

The ABC’s Elise Worthington has been at St Vincent’s Hospital where a number of victims are being treated.

She said NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon just left the emergency department, having arrived a little after midnight.

“Commissioner Mal Lanyon told the media the police officer who was shot was now in a stable condition and police would provide a full update tomorrow,” she said.

“There’s been a heavy police presence here tonight, with large groups of detectives coming and going after an ambulance arrived under heavy police guard.

“The road was closed by police while the ambulance unloaded a patient, who was obscured by a screen and surrounded by police.

“It hasn’t been confirmed which hospital the shooter has been taken to but we know they are being treated and are in police custody.

The police response was immense around Bondi this evening.

Social media footage verified by the ABC shows the moments after officers descended on the footbridge where the shooters had been firing at people.

The video, which is distressing, shows two gunmen on the ground, one of whom is being detained by officers.

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The ABC is continuing to verify video and images posted online purporting to show the attack at Bondi.

This drone vision, posted on social media, shows two shooters firing from the footbridge with Bondi Pavilion in the background.

It was first posted on TikTok on an account which appears to have now been deleted.

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Elise Worthington is still at St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.

She reports she’s just seen another family leave the hospital in tears — but it’s good news for once as they’d just been told their nephew, who’d been working as a security guard at the festival, was going to recover after being shot.

“There are families still waiting in there to see if their family are going to make it,” the man’s uncle, Russell, told the ABC.

“It’s terrible. People are in surgery and waiting to find out what’s happening. Our nephew has survived and he’s going to be alright and he’s going to live.”

“No-one thought Sunday night you would be spending it at the hospital where two terrorists have gone on a massacre to try and kill as many Jewish people as possible” he added.

Video emerged online quickly after the reports of shooters being in Bondi just before 7pm.

The ABC has been working to verify the video and images that are online of the terror attack at Bondi.

This clip shows two of the shooters firing their weapons from a footbridge.

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The United States “strongly condemns” this evening’s attack at Bondi targeting Jewish Hannukah celebrations, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Antisemitism has no place in this world. Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia,” Mr Rubio wrote on X.

More footage of a man tackling one of the gunmen and taking his weapon from him has emerged.

PM Anthony Albanese mentioned the bravery of first responders and “everyday Australians who, without hesitating, put themselves in danger in order to keep their fellow Australians safe”.

“These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives,” he said.

Here is another verified video of the moment.

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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says he is “horrified” by the attack.

“[I] condemn today’s heinous deadly attack on Jewish families gathered in Sydney to celebrate Hannukah.

“My heart is with the Jewish community worldwide on this first day of Hannukah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness.”

Police and emergency services continue to work through the night at the tragic scene in Bondi.

Discarded bikes and broken glass litter the streets around them.

Earlier an improvised explosive device (IED) was removed from one of the shooter’s cars.

It’s been more than five hours since the situation in Bondi started to unfold, but there’s still a heavy police presence at the scene.

The area where the shooting took place has been declared safe, but is now officially a crime scene, as the operation shifts from an emergency response to an investigation.

ABC reporter Digby Werthmuller is still on the scene, and says the locals have gone home, but there are still armed police “making sure that their presence is still seen, and felt, in this area tonight”.

The next update from police is expected to take place tomorrow morning, he says.

It’s almost midnight in NSW, and St Vincent’s Hospital at Darlinghurst — about 4 kilometres from Bondi — is still incredibly crowded and chaotic, the ABC’s Elise Worthington reports from the scene.

“People who have been in the hospital have described it as really like a warzone in there,” she says.

“The number of casualties coming through, the family members seeing patients being wheeled around, patients going to theatre, it’s been, really, a traumatic and difficult and chaotic [evening].”

ABC reporters Emily Clark, Mark Doman and Alex Palmer have verified videos and witness accounts to understand what unfolded at Bondi today.

Read their breakdown of the horrific events here.

Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley issued a statement on the Bondi shootings earlier tonight.

“Australians are in deep mourning tonight, with hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian communitya place we all know so well and love, Bondi,” the statement reads.

“The loss of life from this attack is significant, and I join with the prime minister in urging all Australians to follow official advice from police and relevant authorities.

“This attack occurred as our Jewish community came together at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration. This was a celebration of peace and hope for the future, severed by hate.

“My heart is with Australia’s Jewish community tonight, particularly those in the eastern suburbs of Sydney — people I know well.

“Today we stand together as Australians against hate in this moment of profound tragedy and shock.

“I want to acknowledge the swift and courageous response of NSW Police and paramedics, whose immediate action helped secure the scene, protect lives and support those caught up in this horrific attack.

“Those who ran towards the dangereveryday Australians, our police and paramedics are heroes.

“I provide the prime minister and all Commonwealth and state agencies with the Coalition’s full and unconditional support as both governments respond to this situation.”

Pastor Matt Graham was in the middle of a service at Bondi Anglican Churchjust 100 metres from the scene of the shooting, when the attack broke out.

“We noticed people sort of running past the entrance to our church and one lady came in and she just looked petrified,” he told ABC News Channel.

“Then she kept on running and then there were just more people running and we’re like, ‘What is going on?’

“And then we just heard more gunshots. Just bang bang, bang.

“We’re like, ‘OK, something big is happening right now.’ It was crazy.”

Matt said the church then went into lockdown while a few people went outside to help.

Once it was all clear, he said they opened up the church and “we’ve had people here all night”.

“People are just gradually moving away from there and people have been trying to find family members,” he said.

“People are confused and in grief.

“We’ve had a number of people wandering in and going, ‘My car’s down there and I can’t get home.’

“So we’ve got people who have been shuttling people to their homes all across Sydney … we’re getting people walking in constantly, just needing a bit of food or a hug or a prayer.

“I think we’re going to be open all week … just being here in the community and seeing how we can help.”