One of the perpetrators of the attack on the Jewish celebration in Sydney was known to Australian intelligence services.

BarcelonaThe alleged perpetrators of the attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach They are a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, who, according to police, allegedly used licensed firearms to carry out the massacre. Naveed Akram, 24, was arrested at the scene and taken to a Sydney hospital with critical injuries. His father, 50, – whom the Sydney Morning Herald Initially identified as Sajid Akram, he was shot dead by police. Both men killed 15 people and injured approximately 40 more in shootings that took place on Sunday during a gathering to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The son was known to police and security services in New South Wales. The father, meanwhile, had a permit for six firearms registered in his name. Police have confirmed that all six have been recovered. Four of these weapons—long guns including a rifle and a shotgun—were seized at the crime scene. The others were located during a police raid on a house in Campsie, southwest of Australia's economic capital.

According to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Naveed Akram, a bricklayer, came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in October 2019. He was investigated for six months due to his alleged connections with third parties. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that this investigation was linked to an Islamic State cell. Intelligence services, according to Albanese, "concluded that there was no indication of an ongoing threat or his involvement in violent acts."

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has stated that there was nothing "to indicate that either of the two men involved in yesterday's attack was planning it" and confirmed that the father had held a firearms license for a decade.

The fruit vendor who disarmed one of the attackers is of Syrian origin.

The hero of the day was Ahmed al-Ahmad, a 43-year-old fruit vendor who, with incredible bravery, disarmed one of the attackers by grabbing him from behind, a gesture that authorities have admitted saved many lives. Several pedestrians filmed the scene, which has gone viral and has already accumulated 22 million views on social media. The man was then shot four or five times in the back and is recovering in the hospital, according to his parents, Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmad and Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmad, who spoke to ABC. They also explained that their son was hit by four or five bullets in the shoulder and still has several projectiles lodged in his body.

The parents only arrived in Sydney from Syria a couple of months ago, while their son has lived in Australia since 2006. "I saw people dying, and when that man [the shooter] ran out of ammunition, I took his gun, but the gun, but..." According to his account, Al Ahmed was having coffee with a friend in Bondi when he heard the gunshots. He saw one of the attackers crouching behind a tree and, realizing he was out of ammunition, he approached from behind and managed to take his weapon. The other attacker, who was on a nearby pedestrian bridge, shot him and wounded him in the shoulder. The family emphasized that Al-Ahmad, the father of two girls aged 3 and 6, would have done anything to protect someone, regardless of their background or faith. "When he did what he did, he wasn't thinking about the background of the people he was saving," the father said. It doesn't discriminate between one nationality and another. Here in Australia, there's no difference between one citizen and another.

More restrictions on weapons

In an emergency meeting with state representatives, the government announced "firm, decisive, and focused" action to reform firearms legislation. The changes could include the establishment of a national registry, involvement of intelligence services in the licensing process, limits on the number of guns each individual can own and the types of weapons permitted, and making Australian citizenship a requirement for obtaining a license. Australia restricted gun ownership after the 1996 Port Arthur bombing, which killed 35 people. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Naveed Akram was a natural-born Australian citizen. His father had come to Australia on a student visa in 1998 and later obtained permanent residency. Until recently, the suspected killer worked as a bricklayer. The man who had employed him explained that he had taken him on as an apprentice six years earlier and described him as a very consistent worker who rarely took days off. He also detailed that a couple of months ago he told him he had broken his wrist practicing boxing and had taken an extended leave of absence. A colleague explained that the alleged perpetrator of the attack was a hunting enthusiast.

Clash with the Netanyahu government

On Monday, Albanese called for unity and assured that his government was prepared to take all necessary measures, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Albanese had "done nothing" to curb antisemitism, which has been on the rise since 2023. Netanyahu also asserted that Albanese's decision to recognize a Palestinian state "pours gasoline on the fire of antisemitism, emboldens those who threaten Australian Jews, and encourages the hatred of Jews that now runs rampant in the streets." According to Netanyahu, Albanese had "substituted weakness for more weakness and appeasement for even more appeasement." In a press conference, Albanese declined to respond to the Israeli's comments and simply called for Australian unity. "This is a moment for national unity, a moment for Australians to come together: and that is exactly what we are going to do." She also listed the measures her government has already taken, including criminalizing hate speech and incitement to violence, as well as banning the Nazi salute. She further pledged to increase funding for the physical security of Jewish community organizations and stressed the need to further strengthen firearms laws in Australia, which already has some of the strictest gun control regulations in the world. However, the special envoy appointed by the government last year to address a wave of graffiti and arson attacks against synagogues and Jewish businesses said that Sunday's terrorist attack "did not come without warning" and that more needs to be done. "The signs were clear," Jillian Segal said in a radio interview on ABC. The leader of the Liberal Party, the main opposition force to the conservatives, accused the Labor government of allowing antisemitism to "take root." "From today onwards, everything must change in the way governments respond," said Liberal leader Sussan Ley. She added that Albanese should implement all the recommendations in the report published by Segal in July, including a special focus on university campuses. At the report's launch last July, Albanese—along with Segal—condemned antisemitism as a "malignant scourge" and announced that his government would allocate AU$25 million to strengthen security in Jewish community spaces, including schools, among other measures.