Bondi Beach shooting: Australian officials say 10 are dead in attack on Jewish event

AKIPRESS.COM – Ten people have been killed and around a dozen are wounded when gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, Reuters reports citing Australian officials.

New South Wales police say two people have been taken into custody, and the Australian Broadcasting Corp said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed.

Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, a New South Wales ambulance spokesperson said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “shocking and distressing”, adding that “emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives”.

One witness described the shooting.

“I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere,” 30-year-old local Harry Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Jewish people who had gone to light the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday on the beach had been attacked by “vile terrorists”.

Australia has experienced a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.