Australia’s prime minister says the government will pursue tougher gun restrictions following a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration that authorities described as a targeted attack on Jewish Australians.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Australian leaders on Monday moved to tighten the nation’s already restrictive firearms laws after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead and dozens more injured, prompting renewed scrutiny of gun ownership and licensing across the country.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government is considering a series of new measures aimed at further limiting civilian access to firearms, including caps on the number of guns an individual may own and a comprehensive review of firearms licenses over time. The proposals were discussed after Albanese convened the National Cabinet in response to the weekend attack.
“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese said following the meeting. “If we need to toughen these up, if there’s anything we can do, I’m certainly up for it.”
Australia already enforces some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, enacted after a 1996 mass shooting in Tasmania that killed 35 people and led to sweeping reforms that sharply curtailed civilian firearm ownership. Albanese said the Bondi Beach attack requires authorities to reassess whether additional restrictions are warranted.
Among the measures under consideration are limits on the total number of firearms any individual may possess, tighter controls on the types of guns permitted under Australian law, an end to open-ended firearms licenses, and a requirement that applicants for gun licenses hold Australian citizenship.
The shooting occurred Sunday during a Hanukkah celebration known as Chanukah by the Sea, held at Bondi Beach, a popular destination for both residents and tourists. Thousands had gathered to mark the start of the Jewish holiday when gunfire erupted.
Albanese described the incident as “a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah.”
Authorities said two gunmen—a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son—opened fire at the gathering. Fifteen people were killed, ranging in age from 10 to 87. The older gunman died at the scene, while the younger was shot by police and remains hospitalized in recovery.
At least 38 additional people were injured and are being treated at hospitals across the Sydney area.
Video from the scene captured one man appearing to confront and disarm one of the assailants before pointing the weapon away and placing it on the ground. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 42-year-old fruit shop owner and father of two, who was shot in the shoulder during the attack.
Al Ahmed’s family said he migrated to Australia from Syria in 2006 and underwent surgery on Monday. They said his parents had recently relocated to Australia and that he previously served in Syrian security forces.
“My son has always been brave. He helps people. He’s like that,” his mother, Malakeh Hasan al Ahmed, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. through an interpreter.
The investigation into how the attackers obtained their firearms remains ongoing as national leaders debate whether further legislative changes are needed to prevent similar attacks in the future.
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