Estimate: Iranian based terror cell carried out the Sydney attack

Author: Published: December 15, 2025

The Telegraph reports that the massacre, in which 16 people were murdered and about 42 injured, was planned with in a Hezbollah-related style.

Israel National News

Published: 
Site of the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Site of the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, SydneyReuters/NINE NETWORK/SEVEN NETWORK/AUSTR

Israeli intelligence officials believe that the massacre in Sydney, Australia, was carried out by a foreign terrorist cell supported by Iran, the British Telegraph reported.

According to the report, the manner in which the attack was carried out indicates a link to characteristics identified with a unit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah – the operational arm for attacks outside Lebanon. Israel is also examining possible links to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

However, the Australian authorities have not yet released significant details from the investigation of the attack that confirm foreign involvement and the intention of an external country or terrorist organization.

A police spokesman in Australia said that law enforcement authorities have launched an operation designed to provide security for the Jewish community and that more than 300 police officers have been deployed to synagogues and neighborhoods where Jews live.

The investigation so far indicates that the two terrorists who carried out the attack are father and son. The Australian ABC reported that the two were Naveed Akram, 24, who was injured during the shootout, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed at the scene. The two were licensed gunmen. The Australian police said that two active explosive devices were found at the scene and that they were neutralized by bomb disposal experts.

The father, Sajid, arrived in Australia on a student visa in 2019 from Pakistan. The son, Naveed, is an Australian citizen and was born in Australia. In 2019, he was investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency due to concerns that he had ties to hostile elements. At the end of the investigation, it was determined that he was not dangerous.

At least 15 dead, including Israeli, dozens wounded in Bondi Beach Hanukkah event massacre

Author: Published: December 15, 2025

Several more were wounded in the mass shooting targeting the Hanukkah celebration in Australia’s largest city, including an Israeli, the Foreign Ministry added.

Emergency personnel respond to a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, December 14, 2025. (CREDIT: THE JERUSALEM POST)

ByMATHILDA HELLER, SHIR PERETS, JAMES GENN
Updated: 
At least 15 people were murdered and several more were wounded when a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.

New South Wales Police, on Monday morning, updated that 40 others remain hospitalized. Two of those hospitalized include police officers, Commissioner Mal Lanyon clarified on Monday.

Lanyon also confirmed that two improvised explosive devices had been found in a car at the scene and that the car was linked to the deceased shooter.

The NSW Police statement included a killed shooter among the dead, authorities later confirmed.

The shooters were a father and son, Lanyon said in a press briefing. The father, 50 years old, was identified as the killer, while the son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, remains in the hospital under police guard.

The two attackers were earlier identified as Muslim men of Pakistani and Lebanese origin, respectively.

Among the dead are British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, French national Daniel Elkayam, community member Reuven Morrison, a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, 78-year-old Tibor Weitzen, and an Israeli citizen.

In addition to the death of Rabbi Schlanger, Chabad confirmed that several of its other shluchim (emissaries) were wounded during the attack.

Lanyon also confirmed that improvised explosive devices had been found in a car at the scene and that the car was linked to the deceased shooter.

“We have our rescue bomb disposal unit there,” he said. “They will take the appropriate action.”

“This will be met with a massive police and public order response,” said Minns, adding, “Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community.”

The two officers declared it a terrorist incident.

“The police operation is ongoing, and we continue to urge people to avoid the area. Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines,” police wrote.

The party, Hanukkah by the Sea, is an annual event run by Chabad of Bondi, where the community lights up the menorah on the first day of the holiday.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, told The Jerusalem Post, “The Jewish community is in shock. There were 2,000 members of the Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah, lighting the first candle together at Bondi Beach. We are at high alert.

“This is a day of profound grief. Members of our community have been murdered. Others have been seriously injured. Families are shattered. A sacred moment of light has been turned into darkness. We are working urgently with authorities as further details are confirmed. Our focus right now is on the victims, their families, and the safety of the community,” he stated.

“Let me be clear. An attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself. It is an assault on our values, our social cohesion, and the basic right of people to gather without fear.”
The Israeli ZAKA rescue and recovery organization has dispatched a delegation, along with logistical equipment, to Bondi to assist in identifying the victims and handling the situation according to Jewish law.

“ZAKA operates anywhere in the world where Jews are harmed in order to ensure that the dignity of the murdered is preserved and to provide families with a humane and respectful response,” said Haim Weingarten, ZAKA’s deputy director of operations.

The Israeli security echelon is examining the possibility of Iranian involvement in the attack.

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.

China, Saudi Arabia Agree to Strengthen Coordination on Regional, Global Matters

Author: Published: December 15, 2025

December 14, 2025 8:10 pm

by Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

China and Saudi Arabia agreed to have closer communication and coordination on regional and international issues, with Beijing lauding Riyadh’s role in Middle East diplomacy, statements following a meeting between the nations’ foreign ministers on Sunday showed.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on a three-nation tour in the Middle East that began in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to end in Jordan. He met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Riyadh on Sunday.

A joint statement published by China’s official news agency Xinhua did not elaborate on what issues the countries will strengthen coordination on, but mentioned China’s support for Saudi Arabia and Iran developing and enhancing their relations.

“(China) appreciates Saudi Arabia’s leading role and efforts to achieve regional and international security and stability,” the statement released on Monday said.

The statement also reiterated both countries’ support for a “comprehensive and just settlement” of the Palestinian issue and the formation of an independent state for Palestinians.

At a high-level meeting, Wang told his Saudi counterpart that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a “priority for Middle East diplomacy” and an important partner in global diplomacy, a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Monday said.

He also encouraged more cooperation in energy and investments, as well as in the fields of new energy and green transformation.

The countries have agreed to mutually exempt visas for diplomatic and special passport holders from both sides, according to the joint statement.

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