At least 12 people were murdered in Australia on the Jewish holiday.

Two people are in jail following a gunshot at Bondi Beach on the Jewish holiday.

SYDNEY (Reuters) — Gunmen opened fire on a Jewish holiday gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and injuring about a dozen more, according to Australian officials.

According to New South Wales police, two suspects were arrested, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that one of at least two gunman was dead.

A dozen individuals were sent to nearby hospitals following the incident, according to a New South Wales EMS spokeswoman.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the event as “shocking and distressing,” adding that “emergency responders are on the scene and working to save lives.”

“I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere,” 30-year-old local Harry Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

According to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Jewish individuals who went to the seashore to light the first candle of the Hanukkah festival were attacked by “vile terrorists”.

Since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, Australia has seen a series of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings, and automobiles.

Gideon Saar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, expressed outrage at the incident.

“These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realized today.”

Bondi, one of the world’s most famous beaches, is frequently crowded with both residents and tourists, particularly on balmy weekend evenings.

“If we were purposefully targeted in this fashion, it is on a scale that none of us could have imagined. “It’s a horrific thing,” Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, told Sky News, adding that his media adviser was injured in the incident.

People on the beach and at an adjacent park scattered as many gunshots and police sirens were heard, according to videos circulating on X. One video showed a man in a black shirt shooting a huge weapon before being caught by a man in a white T-shirt, who took the weapon away from him. A different individual was spotted shooting a firearm from a pedestrian bridge.

Another video showed two guys being forced to the ground by uniformed police officers on a tiny pedestrian bridge. Officers were seen trying to resuscitate one of the males. Reuters could not immediately authenticate the footage.

The incident occurred nearly precisely 11 years after a lone gunman kidnapped 18 people at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the shooter were slain during a 16-hour confrontation.

Sussan Ley, leader of Australia’s opposition Liberal Party, stated that the event resulted in “significant” casualties.

“Australians are in deep mourning tonight, with hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian community, a place we all know so well and love, Bondi,” she told the crowd.