By Jack Forrester
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — December 14, 2025 – Gunfire ripped through a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, cutting down families gathered for a Jewish holiday and transforming one of Australia’s most recognizable public spaces into the site of a terrorist attack. At least 12 people were killed and roughly 29 others injured when gunmen opened fire on the beachfront crowd shortly before 7 pm, according to authorities, in an assault officials say was deliberately aimed at the Jewish community.
The shooting erupted during an event known as “Chanukah by the Sea,” drawing hundreds of families and children to the area near Campbell Parade. Witnesses described sustained bursts of gunfire, people screaming and sprinting for cover, and bodies lying on the sand and surrounding walkways. Police responded within minutes. One attacker was shot dead at the scene and a second was taken into custody in critical condition. Investigators have also been examining reports of suspected explosive devices connected to the attackers and have not ruled out the involvement of additional suspects.
Two victims have been publicly identified in reporting so far. Rabbi Eli Schlanger, described as an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, was reported killed in the attack. Alex Kleytman was also identified as among the dead. Authorities have not yet released a full list of victims as families continue to be notified. One of the fatalities is believed to be one of the attackers.
Amid the chaos, a bystander intervened in a way that police and political leaders say prevented further bloodshed. Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43 year old Bondi fruit shop owner, ran toward one of the gunmen, tackled him and wrestled away his weapon. Video of the confrontation spread rapidly, showing the attacker being subdued as shots rang out nearby. Al Ahmed was shot during the struggle and later hospitalized. Officials have publicly credited his actions with saving lives.
The Bondi Beach attack has reignited long simmering fears within Australia’s Jewish community, coming after years of heightened tension and rising antisemitic incidents following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel. In Sydney, that unease was amplified by a controversial protest outside the Sydney Opera House in October 2023, where chants widely perceived as calling for violence against Jews were broadcast around the world. Police later said forensic analysis did not confirm the precise wording that circulated online, but acknowledged that antisemitic slogans were shouted and that the incident prompted investigations. For many Jews, the episode marked a turning point, a moment when hostile rhetoric toward Jews moved unmistakably into the public square.
Authorities have not yet released details about the attackers’ identities or motives, beyond stating that the target was a Jewish religious gathering and that the investigation is being treated as terrorism. Security has been tightened around Jewish institutions and events across the country as counterterrorism officers continue to comb through evidence. As Sydney absorbs the shock, the reality is stark: a Jewish holiday celebration ended in mass murder, on an open beach, in full view of a nation that can no longer pretend such violence is unthinkable.
