On the afternoon of Sunday, December 14, 2025, the vibrant atmosphere of a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was shattered by an act of violence that has since reverberated across Australia and beyond. Families gathered near the Bondi Pavilion for what was meant to be a joyful event—complete with a petting zoo and traditional treats—were suddenly thrust into chaos when gunfire erupted, leaving 15 dead and many more wounded. The event, which has been described as Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades, has left a community in mourning and a nation grappling with difficult questions about security, extremism, and the sense of safety in public spaces.
According to ABC News, Jessica Chapnik Kahn and her five-year-old daughter Shemi were among those attending the festivities. Jessica recalled, “She was giddy with excitement,” as Shemi petted a goat and enjoyed special Hanukkah doughnuts. The joy was short-lived. “I instantly knew it was a gunshot,” Jessica told 7.30. While some in the crowd mistook the initial sounds for fireworks, Jessica’s instincts kicked in, and she grabbed her daughter, diving into a sunken pit in the grass for cover along with other parents and children.
“We all threw ourselves into that pit with all our children beneath us … there was so much crying and so many children’s voices, and parents screaming, ‘Get down! Get down!’” Jessica recounted. As bullets struck bodies nearby, she pressed down on Shemi, desperate to shield her from harm. “I just was doing everything in my power to make sure that my body was covering her entire body … I had other children at my legs and I was trying to put my legs over them and other people. It was a tangle, an absolute tangle of people.”
Meanwhile, Jessica’s husband Nadav and their nine-year-old son Lev had stayed behind at their Bondi apartment. Nadav, who had long feared an attack on a Jewish gathering since the October 7, 2023, events in Israel and Gaza, received a call from his mother alerting him to trouble at Bondi Beach. “Instantly I knew there was an attack there,” Nadav told 7.30. He frantically tried to reach Jessica, but to no avail. Eventually, he and Lev rushed toward the chaos, witnessing scenes of panic and bodies strewn across the area.
Jessica, still protecting Shemi, was haunted by the fear that her daughter might not have survived the ordeal beneath her. “I realised she hadn’t been moving for a really long time. All the other children were moving and crawling,” she said. Relief came only when Shemi let out a faint sob, confirming she was alive. As the shooting subsided, parents urged their children to “close your eyes” as they escaped the grisly aftermath. Jessica and Shemi fled to the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, where they were eventually reunited with Nadav and Lev. “It was just surreal that we could find each other again,” Jessica said.
The attack, which left a growing memorial of flowers behind the Bondi Pavilion by December 16, was quickly identified as a terrorist act targeting the Jewish community. Reuters reported that Sajid Akram, the alleged gunman killed by police, was originally from Hyderabad, India, and had moved to Australia in 1998. His son, Naveed Akram, was identified as the accomplice and remains in critical condition after being shot by police. Indian authorities stated that Sajid’s family was unaware of his radicalization, and there appeared to be no connection to extremist influences in India. “The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation,” Telangana police said in a statement.
Australian authorities confirmed that both Sajid and Naveed Akram were motivated by Islamic State ideology. According to Jewish Exponent, the pair had spent most of November 2025 in a region of the Philippines known as an Islamic State stronghold, likely receiving military training. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated at a press conference, “It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS.” Islamic State flags were found in Naveed Akram’s car, which was abandoned at the scene of the shooting.
The revelation that the attackers were inspired by Islamic State complicates initial narratives that sought to link the attack to Australia’s recent pro-Palestinian protest movement. While antisemitic displays and attacks on Jewish sites have been noted in the wake of the ongoing war in Gaza, experts point out that the Islamic State and Hamas have historically been at odds. As Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, observed, “The Islamic State literally views Hamas as apostates … they are tools of Shia Iran and also don’t actually implement sharia [Islamic law] according to IS’s interpretations.”
Nevertheless, the war in Gaza and the global surge in pro-Palestinian sentiment have created fertile ground for extremist groups to exploit. Terrorism experts cited in Jewish Exponent note that the Islamic State has become increasingly decentralized and opportunistic, referencing Israeli operations in Gaza to galvanize their networks and inspire attacks worldwide. A “Worldwide Threat Assessment” from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency in May highlighted that both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have been using the conflict in Gaza to recruit, raise funds, and incite violence against Jewish and Western targets.
Despite the Islamic State’s lack of an official claim for the Bondi Beach attack as of December 16, 2025, authorities believe the evidence points to their ideological influence. The attack has been condemned by Arab states supportive of the Palestinian cause, underscoring the complex and often contradictory web of allegiances and motivations in the current geopolitical climate.
Back in Bondi, the local and Jewish communities are left to pick up the pieces. Vigils and tributes—candles and flowers—now line the beach, as families and neighbors struggle to process the trauma. Jessica Chapnik Kahn, reflecting on her family’s ordeal, emphasized the importance of talking through the experience: “I made sure that they each gave me their accounts. I think that’s a really important part of processing trauma.” Yet for her daughter Shemi, the memories are still raw. “After Shemi did that, she said, ‘I never want to talk about this again.’”
Nadav, too, voiced the profound sense of loss and vulnerability now felt by many. “In the Jewish community we feel more targeted. There is all of this fundamentalist hatred and antisemitism and, yes, all of that—but in Bondi, I really feel like a sense of some of the innocence that’s been destroyed for everyone. This is everyone’s playground, this is everyone’s beach. And just seeing the number of people coming to offer flowers from all walks of life, from all nationalities, from all faiths, it just reinforces how as humanity we’re all feeling it.”
The Bondi Beach tragedy has left scars that will not soon heal, but it has also brought forth a remarkable outpouring of solidarity, reminding many that even in the darkest moments, communities can come together in grief and resilience.
