Sajid and Naveed Akram, who killed 15 people on Bondi Beach in an attack on the Jewish community on Sunday, had told their family they were on a fishing trip. ,Naveed's mother, Verena, told the Sydney Morning Herald that she had a conversation with her son on the day of the attack.

She said, "He rings me up and said: ‘Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going... to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot’."

The bystander who lunged at a gunman and disarmed him during Sunday's Bondi Beach attack is fighting for his life in hospital. Ahmed Al Ahmed, in his 40s, now says he would do it again, despite the pain from being “riddled with bullets.”

“He doesn't regret what he did,” Sam Issa, Ahmed's migration lawyer, told The Age, after visiting him at St George Hospital in Kogarah.

Around 40,000 people booked appointments to donate blood across Australia on Monday, CNN reported citing Australian Red Cross. “This has been the biggest community response we’ve seen since the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009,” the Australian Red Cross said.

Pope Leo XIV offered his prayers Monday for the victims of the attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead, and called for an end to anti-Semitic violence.

"Today I wish to entrust to the Lord the victims of yesterday's terrorist massacre in Sydney against the Jewish community. Enough of these forms of anti-Semitic violence, we must eliminate the hatred in our hearts," he said during a audience at the Vatican.

One of the victims of attack on Bondi Beach was a football player.

In a post on Facebook, Rockdale Ilinden FC, Sydney-based football club, say Dan Elkayam was the victim of the "horrendous, tragic and senseless events at Bondi Beach". He is described as an "extremely talented and popular figure among team mates."

In a post on X on Sunday, external, French President Emmanuel Macron also paid tribute to Elkayam, saying, "I think of his family and loved ones and express to them the full solidarity of the Nation."

In the hours after one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern Australian history, the footage that travelled fastest across social media was of a man lunging from behind, wrapping his arms around a gunman, wrestling a firearm away as shots rang out at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The man was quickly hailed as a hero. His name, Ahmed Al Ahmed, was widely shared. So too was a detail that turned out to be wrong.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected accusations that his country’s recognition of a Palestinian state was the reason behind the attack. Albanese said that he did not accept Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that support for Palestinian statehood put “fuel on the antisemitism fire” in the country.

“Most of the world recogniss a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East. This has been an extraordinarily traumatic 24 hours. My job is to provide support for the Jewish community,” he told Australian Broadcasting Cooperation.

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, visited Ahmed al-Ahmed, the "hero" fruit-seller who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen, in hospital.

"Ahmed is a real-life hero. Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk. It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW. There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage. Thank you, Ahmed," Minns wrote in a post on Instagram.

 A woman from Slovakia was killed during a mass shooting at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said on Monday.

"Already yesterday, I unequivocally condemned the brutal, deadly attack... Today, that grief has reached Slovakia as well, among the victims of this senseless, violent rampage was a Slovak woman, Marika," Pellegrini wrote on X.

A rabbi, who recently helped organise a memorial for the Chabad emissaries killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was among the 15 victims of an antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

The father-son duo shot down the place during "Chanukah by the Sea," a Hanukkah festival organised by the local Jewish community.

A mass shooting at a Jewish festival on Australia's iconic Bondi Beach has revived allegations that the government is dragging its feet in the fight against antisemitism. A father and son shot and killed 15 people at an annual Hanukkah festival on Sydney's most famous beach on Sunday, an act labelled by Australian and foreign leaders alike as an assault on Jews.

The father was shot and killed by police and the son is in a critical condition in hospital.

While Canberra has condemned the attack, many in the Jewish community have questioned its determination to fight prejudice against them. The government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, said on Monday that it has been "seeping into society for many years and we have not come out strongly enough against it".

The Bondi shooting was "attack on Australia, not just on the Jewish community", she told public broadcaster ABC.

Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi beach, killing 15 people, including a child, officials said Monday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday proposed tougher national gun laws after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, leaving at least 15 people dead.

Albanese said he would propose new restrictions, including limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can obtain. His proposals were announced after the authorities revealed that the older of the two gunmen — who were a father and son — had held a gun license for a decade and amassed his six guns legally.

“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese told reporters.

“People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity,” he added.

A Sydney man said he had received death threats and was "terrified" to leave his home Monday after his photo was widely shared online as the gunman responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting.

A father and son duo opened fire on a Jewish festival at Australia's best-known beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people, including a child, and wounding 42 more. 

Authorities have condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, though they have not named the two shooters -- one killed at the scene, and the other now in hospital.

However, Australian public broadcaster ABC said the alleged assailant was Naveed Akram from the western Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg, quoting an anonymous official, and other local media reported that police had raided his home.

Photos of a beaming man in a green Pakistan cricket jersey pinged across social media.  Some of the posts were shared thousands of times, drawing vitriolic comments. 

But the photo was taken from the Facebook profile of a different Naveed Akram, who pleaded Monday for people to stop the misinformation in a video published by the Pakistan Consulate of Sydney.

"Per media reports, one of the shooters' name is Naveed Akram and my name is Naveed Akram as well," he said in the video.

Police say one of the assailants was a 50-year-old father who was shot and killed in a shootout with officers.

Michael Vaughan describes the fear, confusion and emotional aftermath of being just metres away from the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack in Sydney.

Pip Edwards said she had been at the iconic Sydney beach with her friend Jess Engles on Sunday when gunmen opened fire, forcing them to flee and take cover.

Among the 15 victims of a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach targeting an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday were a rabbi who was a father of five, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old-girl

Sunday's shooting at Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead, has shaken the country's long-standing faith in that gun control system - among the world's toughest and raised new questions about whether it remains fit for purpose.

Gun licences cannot be in perpetuity, as people can be radicalised over time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said amid the conversation around arms control after two gunmen shot 15 people dead at a Jewish religious gathering

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the attackers were deliberately targeting the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah. The Islamic State has been known for staging such attacks. France has seen similar attacks where Islamic State-inspired terrorists have targeted crowds.

In 2016, the Nice truck attack by a lone wolf bearing allegiance to the Islamic State claimed 86 lives. An Indian Intelligence Bureau official said that Naveed had been examined by the Australian Intelligence six years back. This suggests that he was in the know of a major attack being planned in Sydney back in 2019. From what has been unfolding, it appears that Naveed may have gone through the attack that was planned six years back.

Since he had come under the radar, he may have been lying low to avoid detection. He seems to have waited for the appropriate time to go through with this attack, the official also added.

According to investigators, Sajid Akram owned a fruit shop, while his son had been laid off from his bricklaying job around two months back after the company became insolvent. The police said that Sajid had held a gun license for around 10 years.

The shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday claimed 16 lives, while injuring over 40. The incident occurred when over a crowd of 1,000 had gathered at the venue on the first day of Hanukkah. The two shooters have been identified as 24-year-old male Naveed Akram and 50-year-old Sajid Akram.

While the motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, the police have found two Islamic State flags in the car of the two terrorists. Naveed Akram and his father, Sakid Akram, have been identified as the terrorists by the investigators.

Experts say that the pattern of the attack suggests that this was an act by the Islamic State. While the motive is yet to be ascertained, experts believe that the intention may have been to target the Jewish festival in an attempt to send out a message to Israel. The Australian agencies are yet to confirm the role of the Islamic State in this attack. Two flags of the terror group had been found. One of the flags could be seen in the footage from the scene, on the bonnet of the car that belonged to the attackers.

The probe is ongoing, and all angles are leading up to the Islamic State. Naveed Akram, one of the terrorists, was in fact examined by Australia’s domestic Intelligence agency, ASIO, six years ago for his close links with the Sydney-based Islamic State group. Naveed had come under the radar of the Australian agencies after the police had foiled an Islamic State-planned attack. Naveed’s name cropped up following the July 2019 arrest of El Matari, a hardened Islamic State terrorist.

Counter-terrorism experts say that the attack bears the signature of the Islamic State. It cannot be called a lone wolf attack, considering there was more than one person. However, the planning and execution bear the signature of the Islamic State.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong following the deadly terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, which left more than 15 people dead during a gathering to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Just spoke to Australian Foreign Minister @SenatorWong. Conveyed our deepest condolences about the Bondi Beach terrorist attack and offered our fullest support."

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack at Bondi Beach in Australia that targeted people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, expressing condolences to the victims' families and solidarity with the Australian people.

Father and husband Tibor Weitzen has been identified as one of the victims after he was fatally wounded while shielding his wife from the gunfire who survived the attack, the Daily Mail reported. 

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organisation Beth Din, Chabad said.

Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, attended the event with his children and grandchildren, Chabad said.

According to a report by Chabad, another victim was identified as Reuven Morrison, described as "a member of the Chabad community who divided his time between Melbourne and Sydney.

A primary school student, 10-year-old Matilda, died on Sunday night, her aunt confirmed on social media, according to local media. She was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney. She has been described as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to those around her", local media reported. 

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that French national, Dan Elkayam, was killed in the shootings.

Elkayam, who local media reported was in his late twenties and had gone down to celebrate at the festival, had been providing technical support to global media company NBC Universal in Sydney since last December, according to his LinkedIn page. He had a Bachelor's degree of computer systems and a Master of engineering systems, and was previously based in Paris. 

Schlanger 41, was assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which put on the event.

Chabad is a global Jewish organisation whose mission is to foster Jewish identity and connection. Schlanger was British born but had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years, and had recently become a father for the fifth time. 

"Nothing was too big for him," said friend Alex Ryvchin who is also Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. "He would drive out to regional parts of the state and sit with prisoners in our jails and listen to their stories. He would go to Waterloo and Redfern and to the public housing and sit with the elderly, he would listen to their stories and feed them and make sure they had meals and kosher products. He was the sort of person who illuminated our lives with kindness, his grace and generosity." 

Schlanger's brother-in-law, Rabbi Mendel Kastel, said the family was "broken".

"They have fallen apart," Kastel told Reuters. Kastel said that for the rabbi's wife, her best friend's husband was also killed in the shootings. 

"They were best friends through school and both lost their husbands here. The rabbi has a baby only a few months old. It's very, very difficult, it's too early to tell how they will be feeling, how it will land, they are in shock."

Among the 15 victims of a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach targeting an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday were a rabbi who was a father of five, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old-girl, according to interviews, officials and local media reports.

Some 40 people were taken to hospital, including two police and four children, one of whom later died from her wounds. Police say the attack was carried out by a father and son, and their victims' ages ranged from as young as 10 to 87. The 50-year-old alleged gunman was killed by police.

Two gunmen, a father son duo, opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi beach, killing 15 people, including a child, officials said Monday. 

One gunman, a 50-year-old man, was fatally shot by police. The other shooter, his 24-year-old son, was wounded and was being treated at a hospital, said Mal Lanyon, New South Wales police commissioner.

The father, Sajid Akram, had a gun license that allowed him to legally acquire the six firearms recovered from his property and also held a gun club membership, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

The horror at Australia’s most popular beach was the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws primarily aimed at removing rapid-fire rifles from circulation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the massacre an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

He pledged swift change, planning on Monday afternoon to present his gun law proposals to a national cabinet meeting that includes state leaders. Some of the measures would also require state legislation.

“Some laws are commonwealth and some laws are implemented by the states," the Australian leader said. “What we want to do is to make sure that we’re all completely on the same page.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday proposed tougher national gun laws after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, leaving at least 15 people dead.

Albanese said he would propose new restrictions, including limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can obtain. His proposals were announced after the authorities revealed that the older of the two gunmen - who were a father and son - had held a gun license for a decade and amassed his six guns legally.

"The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws," Albanese told reporters.

"People's circumstances can change. People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity," he added.

Australia Police said one gunman, Naveed Akram, was known to security services, but authorities had no indication of a planned attack.

Heavily armed police on Sunday night raided their home in Bonnyrigg, in southwest Sydney, as well as an Airbnb property in Campsie where the men had been staying. A report by ABC News said that officials believe the gunmen had pledged allegiance to the IS terrorist group.

Two IS flags were found in their car at Bondi Beach, the report quoted senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

One flag could be seen in footage from the scene on the bonnet of the car. A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities took an interest in Naveed Akram six years ago after police foiled plans for an IS terrorist attack.

A day after the heinous terror attack during a Jewish festival at Sydney's Bondi Beach, Verena is still struggling to wrap her head around the events in the past 24 hours

The gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach have been identified as a father and son, a shooting that killed at least 15 people.

Two gunmen who killed at least 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia were a father and son, police said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday condemned a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney, Australia as "a purely antisemitic attack."

"That was a terrible attack, 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously," Trump said during a Christmas celebration at the White House.

The Palestinian foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the Bondi attack, rejecting all forms of violence and extremism, and expressing "full solidarity" with Australia. This comes months after Australia, the UK, and Canada made a historic change in Western foreign policy by recognizing a Palestinian state in September, a move linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.

In a joint statement posted on X, the Australian National Imams Council and the Council of Imams NSW, along with the Australian Muslim community, "unequivocally condemn" the violent Bondi shootings. They asserted that these crimes "have no place" and demanded that the perpetrators "face the full force of the law." The groups extended their condolences and prayers to the victims and families, emphasizing that this is a time for all Australians to "stand together in unity" against violence.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani condemned the “vile act of antisemitic terror” that unfolded during a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach.

"The attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney today was a vile act of antisemitic terror. I mourn those who were murdered and will be keeping their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in my prayers. May the memories of all those killed be a blessing," he wrote.

"While we are still waiting for all the facts to emerge, what we already know is devastating. At least 11 dead, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who held deep ties to Crown Heights. At least 29 injured. Another Jewish community plunged into mourning and loss, a holiday of light so painfully reduced to a day of darkness. This attack is merely the latest, most horrifying iteration in a growing pattern of violence targeted at Jewish people across the world. Too many no longer feel safe to be themselves, to express their faith publicly, to worship in their synagogues without armed security stationed outside. What happened at Bondi is what many Jewish people fear will happen in their communities too," Mamdani added.

Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman has been identified as one of the at least 11 people killed in today's attack at Bondi Beach. His wife, Larisa Kleytman, confirmed his death to The Australian, recounting hearing loud "boom" sounds before he fell. Kleytman, who survived the Holocaust in Siberia, immigrated with his wife (also a survivor) from Ukraine and had been married for almost 60 years. His wife said he was there to celebrate Hanukkah, which "for us was always a very, very good celebration."

Australians on Sunday praised a man described as a "hero" after his quick thinking during a mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach, the deadliest attack in the country in years. Footage shared widely on social media showed the unarmed man tackling one of the gunmen as shots were being fired at civilians, a move believed to have saved many lives.

The 15-second video shows the man hiding behind parked cars before running towards the gunman from behind. He grabs him by the neck, pulls away his rifle and forces him to the ground, before pointing the weapon back at him.

Click here to read the full story.

An Israeli citizen was among those killed during the attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, according to multiple reports citing the Israeli foreign ministry. Another Israeli was wounded and is receiving treatment at a local hospital in Sydney. Eleven people were killed in the shooting on Sunday, as well as one of the attackers.

The Iranian foreign ministry on Sunday denounced a "violent attack" in Sydney that targeted a Jewish celebration and killed 11 people. "We condemn the violent attack in Sydney, Australia. Terror and killing of human beings, wherever committed, is rejected and condemned," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

The attack on Sunday occurred during an event marking the start of Hanukkah, which is the Jewish Festival of Light. This eight-day celebration historically commemorates the Jewish victory over the Greeks over 2,000 years ago, allowing them to practice their religion freely. Hanukkah or Chanukah, begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, and is traditionally celebrated with the nightly lighting of the menorah, singing songs, playing dreidel, and children receiving gifts or Hanukkah money, known as gelt. 

The 43-year-old fruit shop owner from the Sutherland Shire who bravely tackled one of the gunmen is recovering well in the hospital, despite sustaining two bullet wounds, one in his arm and one in his hand, according to a relative. A family member, speaking outside a Sydney hospital, called the man "100 per cent a hero" and expressed hope that they would be allowed to see him soon.

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said in a post on X, "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration. 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."

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, called it a “heinous deadly attack”.

"I am horrified and 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," he said.

The first victim from the shooting in Sydney's Bondi Beach today has been identified as Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

Schlanger was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi as well as a chaplain for the local community, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.  According to Schlanger's LinkedIn, he has held the position of assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi for over 18 years. 

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles called the Bondi Beach attack a “dark moment for the nation”.

Richard Marles wrote on X, “This is a dark moment for our nation. My thoughts this evening are with every person impacted by the terror incident at Bondi, including the families and loved ones of those who have been killed, and the brave Australians who did not hesitate to run towards danger."

He added, "A short time ago, the National Security Committee of Cabinet met. Investigations are continuing and details are still being confirmed. It is important that while this occurs, all Australians listen to and take the advice of authorities.”

Following Sunday's Bondi Beach shooting, Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, spoke with her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar, who had publicly criticised the federal Labour government for ignoring warning signs about antisemitism in the community. Wong, who was briefed on the incident as a member of the national security committee, subsequently cancelled her planned diplomatic trip to China and Japan this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Australia's government of having fuelled antisemitism in the period leading up to Sunday's shooting in Sydney which targeted a Jewish celebration, killing 11 people.

"Three months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism," he said, referring to a letter he sent to Anthony Albanese in August following Canberra's announcement that it would recognise Palestinian statehood. 

"Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent and do not act," Netanyahu added during a televised public address at an event in southern Israel.

At least 11 people were killed after two gunmen opened fire at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday during a Jewish religious gathering. One of the attackers was shot dead by police as emergency services rushed to the scene. The shooting is being described as one of Australia's deadliest mass-casualty attacks in decades and could be the worst since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the "ghastly terrorist attack" at Bondi Beach.

"On behalf of the people of India, I extend my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with the people of Australia in this hour of grief. India has zero tolerance towards terrorism and supports the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism," PM Modi wrote on X. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the national security committee was convened as a matter of urgency this evening.

"There has been a devastating terrorist incident at Bondi at the Hanukkah by the sea celebration. This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith, an act of evil, anti-Semitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation," he said.

"An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian and every Australian. There is no place for this hate, violence and terrorism in our nation. Let me be clear we will eradicate it," he added.

"The fact that it is the first day of Hannukkah, the types of weapons... some of the other items we found at the scene - as I said, we have found the improvised explosive device in a car which is linked to the deceased offender," New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said, "29 people have been transported to various hospitals around the Sydney area, including two police officers. The condition of those officers and the other transported are serious, but there is a range of conditions."

NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon said that the shooting has been designated a terrorist incident. Lanyon said police are investigating whether there is a third offender.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said 12 are dead, including 1 shooter. 

"This cowardly act of terrifying violence is shocking and painful to see, and represents some of our worst fears about terrorism in Sydney. This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community. On the first day of Hanukkah. What should have been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters, has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack," he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned Sunday's shooting in Sydney, calling it a "cruel attack on Jews" and urging the Australian authorities to step up the fight against antisemitism.

"At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews," Herzog said in a speech at an event in Jerusalem, adding, "Our sisters and brothers in Sydney have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach."

The New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, in a statement, said that he is "shocked by the distressing scenes at Bondi." 

Here's the full statement:

"Australia and New Zealand are closer than friends, we’re family. I am shocked by the distressing scenes at Bondi, a place that Kiwis visit every day. My thoughts, and the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those affected.”

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has called the Bondi shooting an “absolute atrocity”:

"The events at Bondi Beach are an absolute atrocity. A horror for the victims and a massive escalation of the hatred directed at Australia’s Jewish community. There should be no place in Australia for the kind of evil we’ve seen this evening. Thank God one bystander heroically intervened showing the good side of our country. I am praying for all those affected at this time," he wrote on X.

Here's a video of the incident:

Chaos ensued at the Bondi Beach in Sydney as two gunmen opened fire earlier today, around 6:30 pm (local time). Amid this, a daring bystander pinned down one of the gunmen, who was hiding behind a tree, and aimed the rifle back at him. The bravery was caught on camera, the video of which is now viral.

Read the full story here.

As per the NSW police force, one of the shooters involved in the Bondi Beach attack is dead, while another is in critical condition.