VIDEO: Mass shooting at Hanukkah party in Bondi Beach, Australia

At least twelve people were killed in a shooting that appeared to target a Jewish Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, Australian police told AFP, without clarifying whether the death toll included the shooter.

Australia’s national broadcaster ABC reported that one of the suspects was among the dead and that at least 12 others were wounded.

Separately, reports said one suspect had been killed after the shooting, which appeared to target a Jewish Hanukkah event in Sydney, with a further 11 people reported injured. 

Emergency services rushed to the scene as police launched a major security operation, urging the public to avoid the area while officers worked to secure the location.

'Israeli' President Isaac Herzog condemned the shooting, describing it as a “cruel attack on Jews,” and called on Australian authorities to intensify efforts to combat antisemitism. Speaking at an event in Jerusalem, Herzog said Jews in Sydney had been targeted by “vile terrorists” and urged Australia to confront what he described as a growing wave of antisemitism.

“At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews,” Herzog said, adding that Australian society must act against rising antisemitism.

Australian authorities, however, have not officially confirmed that the attack specifically targeted the Jewish community. Police said investigations into the motive and circumstances of the shooting remain ongoing, and further updates would be released as more information becomes available.