Bloodbath on Bondi Beach

Injured in shooting at famous Bondi Beach

This photo shows the two assassins dressed in black on a bridge, from where they are shooting at visitors to the Hanukkah festival.(Bild: AFP/HANDOUT)

At least eleven people have been murdered and numerous others injured in an attack on a Jewish festival event on the world-famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, according to police. Two suspects have been arrested, according to the New South Wales state police on Sunday.

According to a report in the "Sydney Morning Herald", at least one suspected attacker was hit by police gunfire. He also died shortly afterwards, bringing the total number of fatalities to twelve. The police instructed everyone in the immediate vicinity to move to safety. Footage on social media showed chaotic scenes. Rescue workers fought for the lives of bloodied victims.

The police said they had been able to arrest two attackers.(Bild: AFP/DAVID GRAY)

Video: Brave passer-by wrestles down attacker
The TV channels Sky and ABC showed images of people lying on the ground. Videos circulated on the X platform showing people running apart on the beach and in a nearby park, while gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in black firing a large gun before being tackled to the ground by a man in a white T-shirt who took the gun from him. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of a "shocking and disturbing" incident, saying emergency services were on the scene and "fighting to save lives".

This photo shows the two assailants dressed in black on a bridge, from where they are shooting at visitors to the Hanukkah festival.(Bild: AFP/HANDOUT)

The eight-day Jewish festival of lights (Hanukkah) begins this Sunday. "Shots fired at a Hanukkah event," wrote the Jewish organization Australian Jewish Association on X. "We warned so many times that this would happen."

One of the shooting victims is being treated by rescue workers.(Bild: AP/Mark Baker)

Israel's president: "Heart of the entire nation" hit
Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke of an attack on the Jewish community. "At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by heinous terrorists - in an extremely cruel attack on Jews who had gathered to light the first Hanukkah candle on Bondi Beach," Herzog said, according to his office in Jerusalem.

"Our hearts go out to them," Herzog said. "The heart of the entire nation of Israel is skipping a beat at this moment as we pray for the recovery of the injured, pray for them and pray for those who lost their lives." The President continued: "We keep repeating our warnings to the Australian Government to demand action and to fight against the enormous wave of anti-Semitism that is sweeping Australian society."

Federal Chancellor Stocker is "appalled"
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen wrote on the Bluesky platform: "Members of the Jewish community in Sydney were victims of a horrific terrorist attack. Our thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families. Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. We stand in solidarity with all those who stand up against hatred and violence today and every day." Austria's Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) also expressed his "horror". "In these dark hours, we stand united with our strategic partner Australia and firmly oppose violence, hatred and all forms of anti-Semitism."

Bondi Beach in Sydney's east is one of Australia's most famous beaches, where many local surfers and bathers as well as tourists flock at the weekend.