Two people were taken into police custody shortly after the event, local law enforcement confirmed.
Emergency personnel respond to a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, December 14, 2025. (CREDIT: THE JERUSALEM POST)
At least 11 people have been murdered, including Chabad emissary Rabbi Eli Schlanger, and several more were wounded, after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.
As well as Rabbi Schlanger, Chabad confirmed that several of its other schluchim (emissaries) were wounded during the attack.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed in a press conference that, as of Sunday evening, 12 people were dead, including one of the shooters.
Lanyon also confirmed that improvised explosive devices had been found in a car at the scene, and that the car was linked to the deceased shooter.“We have our rescue bomb disposal unit there,” he said. “They will take the appropriate action.”
Footage floating around social media on what appears to be a citizen taking the gun from one shooter, then the camera pans, and there appear to be two more on a bridge, December 14, 2025.
“This will be met with a massive police and public order response,” said Minns, adding, “our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community.”
The two officers declared it a terrorist incident.“The police operation is ongoing, and we continue to urge people to avoid the area. Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines,” police wrote.The party, Hanukkah by the Sea, is an annual event run by Chabad of Bondi, where the community lights up the menorah on the first day of the holiday.
Footage floating around social media on what appears to be a citizen taking the gun from one shooter, then the camera pans, and there appear to be two more on a bridge, December 14, 2025.
“This will be met with a massive police and public order response,” said Minns, adding, “our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community.”
The two officers declared it a terrorist incident.
“The police operation is ongoing, and we continue to urge people to avoid the area. Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines,” police wrote.
The party, Hanukkah by the Sea, is an annual event run by Chabad of Bondi, where the community lights up the menorah on the first day of the holiday.
Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, told the Post, “The Jewish community is in shock. There were 2,000 members of the Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah, lighting the first candle together at Bondi Beach. We are at high alert.”
“This is a day of profound grief. 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. We are working urgently with authorities as further details are confirmed. Our focus right now is on the victims, their families, and the safety of the community,” he stated.
“Let me be clear. An attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself. It is an assault on our values, our social cohesion, and the basic right of people to gather without fear.”
The Israeli organization ZAKA has dispatched a delegation, along with logistical equipment, to Bondi to assist in preserving in identifying the victims and handling the situation according to Jewish law.
“ZAKA operates anywhere in the world where Jews are harmed, in order to ensure that the dignity of the murdered is preserved and to provide families with a humane and respectful response,” said Haim Weingarten, ZAKA’s Deputy Director of Operations.
Israel’s security system is examining the possibility of Iranian involvement in the attack.
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