A mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach has left at least 11 people dead, including one Israeli, and several others wounded. The attack, which targeted a large Jewish gathering, was declared a terrorist incident by Australian authorities, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that both Israeli fatalities and injuries were among the victims, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The shooting took place during “Hanukkah by the Sea,” an annual event organised by Chabad of Bondi, where thousands of Jewish community members gather to light the first candle of the festival. Among the dead is Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad emissary (shaliach). Chabad also reported that several other emissaries were wounded during the attack.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said on Sunday evening that 12 people were confirmed dead, including one of the shooters. Lanyon added that improvised explosive devices had been found in a car linked to the attacker and that bomb disposal teams were working at the scene. Minns warned that the incident “will be met with a massive police and public order response,” adding, “our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community.”
Police urged the public to avoid the area and follow all instructions as the operation continued. They stated that the scale of the attack justified the terrorist designation.
The Zionist Federation of Australia said the Jewish community was in deep shock. Its president, Jeremy Leibler, described the attack as a devastating blow to a peaceful celebration attended by around 2,000 people. “This is a day of profound grief,” he said. “Members of our community have been murdered. Others have been seriously injured. Families are shattered. A sacred moment of light has been turned into darkness.” He emphasised that an attack on Jews practising their faith is “an attack on Australia itself” and on the country’s core values.
Israel’s emergency rescue organisation ZAKA has sent a team and logistical equipment to Bondi Beach to assist in identifying victims and ensuring that Jewish burial practices are respected. Haim Weingarten, the organisation’s Deputy Director of Operations, said ZAKA works wherever Jews are harmed “to ensure that the dignity of the murdered is preserved and to provide families with a humane and respectful response.”
Israel’s security services are also investigating possible Iranian involvement in the attack, although no further details have yet been released.
Photo credit: DAVID GRAY / AFP
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