Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 16 people, including one assailant, officials said on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck “at the heart of the nation.”
Authorities said the shooters were a father and son, and the incident is being termed as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades, despite the country’s strict gun control laws.
Police said one of the attackers, a 50-year-old man, was fatally shot by officers, while the second gunman, his 24-year-old son, was wounded and taken to the hospital, according to New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.
“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations,” Albanese said on Monday.
The shooting occurred during Hanukkah, a celebration marking the first night of the Jewish festival of lights, which drew hundreds of people to Bondi Beach, while many others were swimming or strolling along the sand.
At around 6.45 pm (local time) on Sunday, the gunmen emerged from a small silver hatchback parked near a footbridge and opened fire on the gathering, turning the festive event into a scene of massacre.
Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, adding that at least 42 others were being treated in hospitals, several in critical condition, as cited by AP.
Eli Schlanger
London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was the first victim to be identified. A father of five, Schlanger served as an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, a Jewish cultural centre.
According to Jewish News, Schlanger grew up in Temple Fortune in north London, and members of his family attend Kinloss synagogue in Finchley. His first cousin, Brighton-based Rabbi Zalman Lewis, remembered him as “vivacious, energetic, full of life and a very warm outgoing person who loved to help people.”
“How can a joyful rabbi who went to a beach to spread happiness and light, to make the world a better place, have his life ended in this way?" Lewis was quoted as saying by Jewish News.
Alexander Kleytman
Larisa Kleytman confirmed that her husband, Alexander Kleytman, was among those killed, speaking to reporters outside St Vincent’s Hospital. The couple were Holocaust survivors and had previously shared their experiences with JewishCare in 2023.
“We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down. At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me,” Larisa was quoted as saying by The Australian.
Dan Elkayam
French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that French national Dan Elkayam was among those killed. In a translated post on X, Barrot said France was mourning with Elkayam’s family and loved ones, as well as with the Jewish community and the Australian people.
Elkayam was a member of the Arncliffe Aurora Football Club in southern Sydney and had been named in the club’s premier league squad for the upcoming 2026 season.
“France will spare no effort to eradicate antisemitism wherever it is emerges, and to combat antisemitism in all its forms. The lights of Hanukkah must not be extinguished and they will not be," Barrot said.
A 10-year-old was among the victims
A 10-year-old girl who was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital has died, New South Wales police confirmed.
The Israeli foreign ministry said at least one Israeli citizen was among the dead and another was among those injured.
Forty-two people were taken to nearby hospitals, with 38 remaining in care, including five in critical condition and others listed as serious or stable. Police said two of those hospitalised are officers who responded to the scene and are in critical but stable condition, as cited by the Guardian.
Among the injured is a man who ran toward the gunfire and tackled one of the attackers, an act that has drawn praise from residents. He sustained two gunshot wounds to his arm and hand, and is recovering well in hospital, according to a relative.