Terrorists kill 12 people during Hanukkah celebration in Sydney

The aftermath of the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Photo: abc.net

On December 14, 2025, a shooting occurred in the Bondi Beach area of Sydney during the celebration of Hanukkah: two armed men opened fire on people, resulting in 12 deaths. Later, the shooting was classified by the police as a terrorist act. This was reported by the Australian publication ABC News.

According to law enforcement agencies, the armed attack took place during an event dedicated to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which began around 5:00 PM local time near a children's playground. The terrorists opened fire at approximately 6:40 PM, when there were hundreds of people on the beach, and by some estimates, up to two thousand people.

As a result of the terrorist attack, 12 people were killed, including one police officer and one of the attackers. At least 18 more people were injured, among them two police officers who suffered gunshot wounds. The second shooter was detained and is in critical condition.

Eyewitnesses reported that they initially mistook the sounds of gunfire for fireworks or pops. After that, hundreds of people began to leave the beach in panic. According to journalists, at least 20 shots were heard at the scene, and police helicopters soon appeared over the area.

Bondi resident Dana Farfan told ABC News Channel that she was walking down the street with a friend when the shooting started. "At first, we thought it was fireworks, but then we saw people running and screaming. I grabbed my friend's hand and said, 'This is shooting. We need to run,'" she said. According to her, they escaped among hundreds of people and eventually left the scene in a car with an unknown driver while the shooting was still audible.

The police also reported that homemade explosive devices found in a car near the bridge from where the shooters fired were extracted and removed by the bomb disposal unit.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in Lviv region, a drunk cleric of the OCU committed a triple fatal car accident.

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