Bondi Beach mass shooting calls for increased security at Jewish community events, more gun changes
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An interim report on the mass shooting at Bondi Beach last year advised increased security at Jewish public events and more gun changes among the first 14 recommendations, but found that Australia’s legal and regulatory agencies did not hinder security agencies from preventing or responding to the attack.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government will accept all the initial recommendations made by the Royal Commission on December 14, 2025 into the shooting at the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead.
While the report did not recommend immediate changes, it did make recommendations to strengthen Australia’s counter-terrorism capabilities, Albanese told reporters.
“This is as the government intended – that the first task of the Royal Commission, which was important, was to look at the security aspects of these problems,” he said.
The five recommendations are still classified due to national security concerns, Albanese added.
A father and son accused of killing 15 people at a Hanukkah party on Bondi Beach in Australia trained their guns and launched an attack by throwing improvised explosive devices into the crowd that failed to explode, according to new court documents.
The father and son are said to be the ones who attacked them
The attack on Bondi Beach shocked Australia, a country known for strict gun laws, and sparked widespread calls for stronger anti-Semitism measures and stricter gun control.
Authorities said the alleged abusers, a father and son duo, were inspired by the Islamic State terrorist group. It was the country’s largest mass shooting in three decades.
Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by the police at the scene, while his son, 24, Naveed Akram, who was also shot by the police, was charged with 59 charges, including 15 of murder, 40 of wounding, attempted murder, murder and others.
As memorials continue for the 15 people who died in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, stories of courage are being shared about the few victims who spoke out against their attackers. Meanwhile, questions are being raised about the trip to the Philippines taken by the suspected shooters.
Call to increase security during Jewish holy days
The Royal Commission was established in January following growing pressure from Jewish advocacy groups and victims’ families, who criticized Albanese’s reluctance to initially launch the inquiry.
The 154-page interim report recommends a comprehensive review of the country’s joint anti-terrorism teams, with findings to be submitted to police commissioners and the director-general of security within three months.
It is also necessary to expand the security measures during the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, to include other high-profile Jewish festivals and events.
Additional measures include revising the anti-terrorism handbook immediately, involving senior government officials in counter-terrorism operations and accelerating efforts to implement the proposed national firearms return program.
“The review revealed areas where counter-terrorism capacity at the federal and regional levels could be improved,” the report noted.
The commission’s public hearings are scheduled to begin next week, with a final report due by the end of the year.
