Deadly Terror Attack at Bondi Beach: 16 Lives Lost in Hanukkah Celebration
Meanwhile, a devastating terrorist attack has shaken Australia, leaving 16 people dead and 40 others injured in a shooting at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration.
According to reports, the gunmen opened fire just after 6:45 p.m. local time as more than 1,000 people attended the Chanukah by the Sea event.
One of the victims, who had recently moved to Australia from Israel, spoke with Channel Nine television, saying the community would pull even closer together in the wake of the shootings.
Government Response and Investigation
Consequently, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as an “act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.”
He vowed to eradicate anti-Semitism, saying, “We will eradicate it.”
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the shooters were father and son, and that police weren’t looking for a third offender.
Previous Incidents and Gun Control Concerns
Moreover, the attack has refocused attention on gaps in Australia’s gun-control framework, a system often cited internationally as a model.
However, a January report from the Australia Institute found that all states and territories fell short on core benchmarks for effective oversight, including transparent data reporting and limits on how many firearms an individual can legally own.
The report also showed how concentrated gun ownership has become, with the average license holder owning more than four firearms.
International Reaction and Support
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the shootings “are the results of the antisemitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the shooting as a “cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach.”
Several synagogues in Australia, along with Jewish businesses and homeowners, have been targeted following the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
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