At least 10 people were killed, and around 12 were injured in a shooting at a Jewish holiday event in Bondi.
One gunman was killed, two others were detained, and several victims were hospitalised.
Australian and Israeli leaders condemned the attack amid concerns over rising antisemitic violence.
At Least 10 Killed in Shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach
Gunfire erupted during a Hanukkah gathering at the popular beach, leaving multiple dead and injured; police detained suspects.
Summary
During a Jewish holiday event at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday, gunmen opened fire, killing ten people and injuring about a dozen others, according to Australian officials.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, one of at least two gunmen was among those killed, and New South Wales police said that two others had been taken into custody.
Following the incident, more than twelve individuals were sent to nearby hospitals, according to a New South Wales EMS spokesperson.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "shocking and distressing", adding that "emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives".
“I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere,” 30-year-old local Harry Wilson, who witnessed the shooting, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog claimed that "vile terrorists" had attacked Jews who had gone to the beach to light the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday.
Since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023, Australia has seen several antisemitic attacks against synagogues, structures, and vehicles.
Gideon Saar, the Israeli Foreign Minister, expressed his horror at the shooting.
"These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of 'Globalise the Intifada' that were realised today."
One of the world's most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.
"If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it's something on a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It's a horrific thing," Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News, adding his media adviser had been wounded in the attack.
The attack came almost exactly 11 years after a lone gunman took 18 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the gunman were killed after a 16-hour standoff.
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Sussan Ley, the leader of Australia's opposition Liberal Party, said the loss of life in the incident was "significant".
"Australians are in deep mourning tonight, with hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian community, a place we all know so well and love, Bondi," she said.
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