Australian inquiry opens public hearings into Bondi Beach shooting

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Canberra: A federal royal commission has commenced public hearings into the December shooting that killed 15 people during a Hanukkah festival near Sydney's Bondi Beach.

The inquiry, led by Chief Virginia Bell, is investigating the factors behind Australia's deadliest mass shooting in 30 years, which was allegedly carried out by Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed.

Witnesses testified that the community had long feared a ‘catastrophe’ following a sharp rise in antisemitism linked to Middle Eastern conflicts. Alex Ryvchin, CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, highlighted an escalation in violence throughout 2025, including a firebomb attack on his former home.

Other testimony detailed a string of arson and graffiti attacks against synagogues and businesses, which many described as ‘un-Australian’. The inquiry continues to examine why these ‘ugly displays of hostility’ were not halted before the December massacre.

Photo Credits: AFP