"Hell on earth"

Terror in Sydney: 12-year-olds also among the dead

(Bild: AFP/SAEED KHAN)

According to New South Wales police, the death toll from the terrorist attack by two assailants at Bondi Beach in Sydney has risen to 16! At least one child is among the deceased. The Jewish festival of Hanukkah had previously taken place on the beach.

So far there have been reports of 12 fatalities. The figure of 16 was announced by the New South Wales Health Minister, Ryan Park, and the police. 40 people are still in hospital.

Alexander Ryvchin, co-chair of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, confirmed to CNN the death of a 10-year-old girl who succumbed to her injuries in hospital. "I know everyone who was there. It's an event I attend every year with my family," Ryvchin told the US broadcaster.

At least a dozen people have died in an attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Eyewitnesses report nightmarish scenes.(Bild: AFP/SAEED KHAN)

"Slaughtered in cold blood"
He escaped the massacre as he had to cancel at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts. He added: "The fact that there was carnage, the fact that people planned, procured weapons and knowingly came there knowing that children, elderly people, families and defenceless people were peacefully gathered there - and that they slaughtered them in cold blood. This is something that will change our country."

Holocaust survivor shot dead in front of his wife
As reported by "The Australian", a Holocaust survivor was among the dead. He was shot dead in front of his wife. "He came to Bondi Beach for Hanukkah and it was always a very, very nice celebration for us for many, many years," the newspaper quoted the woman as saying. According to the Daily Mail, the couple have two children and eleven grandchildren.

This is something that will change our country.

Alexander Ryvchin, Co-Chef des Executive Council of Australian Jewry

According to the British BBC, a 41-year-old British rabbi and an Israeli were also among the victims. At least one Israeli was also killed and another injured in the attack. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. 

Netanyahu criticizes Australia's prime minister
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a "cold-blooded murder" and warned that anti-Semitism would spread if "leaders remain silent". He was referring to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Netanyahu added that he had warned his counterpart of an increase in anti-Semitism. Netanyahu also accused the Australian government of having promoted and encouraged anti-Semitism in Australia with its policies.

One assassin dead, second shooter in critical condition
ABC News and the Daily Mail both report that one of the attackers died during the exchange of fire with the police. The second shooter is in police custody, seriously injured and in a critical condition. According to police reports, improvised explosive devices were also found in a car believed to be linked to the assailant who was killed.

At the same time, Australia's intelligence chief Mike Burgess announced that one of the suspects was "known" to the security authorities, but that they had "very little knowledge" about him. Burgess did not specify which of the perpetrators was involved.

Police: perpetrator had not previously posed a concrete threat
When asked whether the shooters were known to the authorities before the crime, the police stated that they had little information about one of the perpetrators. The other person was "known" to the authorities but, according to initial findings, did not pose a specific threat. The police did not specify which of the perpetrators was involved.

This unarmed passer-by showed incredible courage and rendered one of the attackers harmless.(Bild: Screenshot twitter.com/nexta_tv)

Residence of one attacker searched, two more arrests
According to the "Sydney Morning Herald", two people were also arrested in the Bonnyrigg district, where one of the suspected attackers had his home. This has also already been searched. It is not yet clear how the two people are connected to the crime.Z

More videos are now circulating on X showing people running away from each other on the beach and in a nearby park, while gunshots and police sirens can be heard.

"People in pools of blood"
Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of a few minutes that felt like an eternity. One witness told the public broadcaster ABC that the attack lasted around ten minutes - and described this time as "absolute hell on earth". He said he saw people lying in pools of blood.

Courageous passer-by wrestles down assassin
In particular, the video of a courageous man during the attack caused a stir on social media. The footage shows how a passer-by initially jumps on the back of one of the two suspected attackers from behind. After a brief scuffle, he takes the gun from him. The man who had previously fired the gun then staggers back, but manages to escape. The passer-by is celebrated as a "hero" in the Australian media.

Bondi Beach to remain closed on Monday
Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (Asio), said the national terrorism threat in Australia was "probable", which corresponds to a 50 percent probability of an attack. Bondi Beach will remain closed on Monday in any case. Investigators are still examining the crime scene, the New South Wales police said. Neither planes nor drones are allowed to fly over the area.

Increased threat but no concrete danger in Austria
Meanwhile, top politicians from all over the world reacted with shock to the terrorist attack. The Ministry of the Interior in Vienna announced that since October 7, 2023 - the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel - there has also been an increased threat level for Austria, but that there is no specific danger. Terror alert level 4 (out of 5 possible levels) currently applies.