Australia has experienced its deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, after at least 16 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah celebrations.
One of the attackers was shot dead, while the other was arrested.
Police are still investigating and have not ruled out the possibility that a third shooter may have been involved.
New South Wales Police later classified the incident as a terrorist attack, noting that the shooting occurred on Sunday during the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that one of the victims was an Israeli national.
Another Israeli citizen was wounded and remains hospitalized, with Israel’s consul in Australia expected to arrive at the hospital where he is being treated.
The ministry said the Department for Israelis in Distress and the Israeli Embassy in Australia are in contact with the wounded individual’s family as he continues to recover in the hospital.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said authorities believe the attack was deliberately aimed at Sydney’s Jewish community and was carried out on the opening day of Hanukkah.
He added that what was meant to be an evening of celebration and joy turned into an act of extreme violence.
After the shooting, police located and safely removed explosive devices from a vehicle parked near the scene of the gunfire.
NSW Police later confirmed they were conducting an operation in the suburb of Bonnyrigg, which they said was linked to the home of one of the suspected gunmen.
Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of people running from the beach around 6:40 p.m. local time. Video footage from the scene appears to show two men dressed in black firing weapons near the parking area.
Witnesses said they heard roughly 50 gunshots and described the moment as complete chaos, with people panicking and running in every direction.
Among those injured was a 10-year-old girl who had been shot. When emergency crews arrived, she was bleeding profusely.
According to witnesses, an emergency medicine doctor rushed to help her right away.
The medical team initially considered intubating her because of the severe blood loss, but instead chose to transport her to the hospital as quickly as possible.
That same doctor later provided treatment to a police officer who had been shot in the side of the head.
Dramatic video footage also surfaced showing a bystander charging one of the gunmen, knocking him to the ground and grabbing his rifle.
During the struggle, the man was shot several times by the attacker.
Relatives later identified the bystander as 43-year-old Ahmed Al Ahmed. He has since undergone surgery to treat his injuries.
Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop, has been widely praised as a hero for stepping in during the attack.
