A source familiar with the situation told the publication that Israel's intelligence service, the Mossad, is aiding the probe, which is a standard procedure for the agency regarding terrorist attacks against Jews abroad.

In August 2025, Australia identified the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as the mastermind behind fires at a Sydney kosher restaurant and a Melbourne synagogue. "These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese declared during a press briefing at the time.

Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three diplomatic staff were subsequently told they had one week to leave, a move unprecedented since World War II. Australia has also suspended its embassy operations in Iran to ensure staff safety and issued a travel warning for citizens to depart Iran promptly.

"They have sought to harm and terrify Jewish Australians and to sow hatred and division in our community," Albanese said at the time. Intelligence agency ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess detailed the IRGC's use of a sophisticated proxy network. "This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-out facilitators to coordinators that found their way to tasking Australians," he stated.

"It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese said Tuesday. "The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate and, in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder."

According to The Wall Street Journal, police publicly identified the 50-year-old suspect, who died at the scene Sunday, as Sajid Akram for the first time on Tuesday, while Australian officials have not yet named his son, who remains in the hospital.

Law enforcement stated they were analyzing a trip the pair took to the Philippines last month as part of the inquiry, while authorities in Manila reported finding no conclusive proof the men connected with terror groups or received training there.

The Philippine immigration bureau recorded that the two individuals landed in the nation from Sydney on Nov. 1 and departed on Nov. 28, identifying the father as an Indian citizen residing in Australia and his son as Naveed Akram, an Australian citizen.

WSJ notes that both men listed Davao, located on the southern island of Mindanao, as their intended destination, and their return trip to Sydney originated from that city, according to immigration records.

For decades, the southern Philippines hosted various violent Islamist insurgent factions, most notably the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is infamous for a lethal ferry bombing and its involvement in the deadly 2017 Marawi siege, where many local terrorists forged ties with the Islamic State.

However, in recent years, Manila has claimed success in suppressing Islamist rebellions, a change from the era when the south was viewed as a haven for groups capable of instructing foreigners in the use of firearms and IEDs.

While Australian police found no indication that anyone beyond the two shooters participated in Sunday's violence, investigations remain active, and Albanese noted Australia is reaching out to international partners "to see precisely if there are any links there," according to the report.

Australia's domestic intelligence service had previously monitored the son for six months commencing in October 2019 due to his associations with two individuals who were subsequently imprisoned, yet the prime minister stated Monday that the agency found no proof he was radicalized or plotting violent or antisemitic acts, nor was he on a watchlist.

Albanese added that the father also underwent questioning during that inquiry. According to The Wall Street Journal, the prime minister characterized the Sunday assault, where two gunmen opened fire from a footbridge onto a gathering for the first night of Hanukkah, as a premeditated act.

"That they hired a place in Campsie to essentially stage this terrorist act in Bondi – clearly it was well planned," Albanese said. "They clearly had thought through the positioning of where they would be on that bridge to give them a higher position than the people that they were seeking to harm."

Police in India confirmed in a Tuesday announcement that Akram originated from Hyderabad and emigrated to Australia for employment in 1998, where he married and settled, fathering a daughter and Naveed, both born in Australia.

The statement noted that Akram remained an Indian citizen at the time of his death, had maintained minimal contact with his relatives in India through only six visits since leaving, and that police held no "adverse record" on him from his time living there.

Last August, Australia elevated its national terrorism alert level to probable, implying officials estimated a likelihood exceeding 50% of an attack occurring or being plotted on domestic soil within the year, citing extremism among youth turning to racially or religiously motivated violence with little warning.

Earlier in 2024, authorities alleged a religiously driven terrorist attack occurred when a teenager stabbed a Christian leader during a live-streamed service in Sydney's western suburbs.

The Wall Street Journal recalls that in late 2014, a self-identified Shiite cleric held people hostage at gunpoint in a cafe near the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, forcing them to display an Islamic banner in the window; two captives were killed in the siege.

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He insisted, "There is no place for this hate, violence and terrorism in our nation, and let me be clear, we will eradicate it. Amidst this vile act of violence and hate will emerge a moment of national unity." Albanese promised, "Our security agencies will provide you with factual updates as quickly as possible." He termed the shooting "an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of our nation."

"The evil that was unleashed today at Bondi Beach is beyond comprehension," he remarked, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. He concluded, "Every Australian tonight will be, like me, devastated. The trauma and loss that families are dealing with tonight is beyond anyone's worst nightmare." Australians have had their lives cruelly stolen and many have been injured."

Separately, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that improvised explosive devices were discovered in a vehicle on Campbell Parade, the street just next to the beach. "We have our rescue bomb disposal unit there," Lanyon told The Sydney Morning Herald. He added, "They will take the appropriate action." The car was "linked to the deceased offender," he noted.

Australian police sources revealed the identity of one of the terrorists who killed 11 people at a Hanukkah party at Bondi Beach in Sydney, the Australian news network ABC reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the shooter is Naveed Akram, an Australian citizen of Pakistani descent, 24, who resided in Sydney. The news network confirmed that his driver's license was exposed by social media users and that the details in the photo are authentic, and his home in the Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg was being raided by law-enforcement officials.

The network did not report the motive for which the young Muslim man carried out the massacre. Social media users found documentation of the man participating in religious classes at a local Islamic center in Sydney.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns updated the public, stating the attack was designed to target Sydney's Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. He expressed that the state's heart bleeds for the Jewish community, imagining the pain of seeing loved ones killed during the holiday. Minns described the investigation as massive and complex, acknowledging that while answers were scarce, the city had some crucial information.

Minns cited the support from ordinary Australians and the pressure faced by police – who he said did not falter – as key elements. He also noted the extraordinary acts of personal courage by individuals willing to risk their lives to help others.

Julian Leeser, federal MP for Berowra, released a statement. "Tonight's unfolding terror attack at Bondi Beach, occurring on the first night of Chanukah, is a horrifying tragedy," he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. "For Australians, tonight has turned into one of grief and shock."

Leeser urged, "We must come together, check in on one another, support our Jewish friends and offer comfort where it is needed." He added, "My heart goes out to those who were in Bondi, spending time with their family and friends, only to be confronted with fear and violence."

"Our Jewish community, which is known for its courage and stoicism, is shaken tonight," Leeser observed. He continued, "I want to thank the NSW Police officers, paramedics, other first responders and members of the public who moved swiftly to protect lives and secure the area under extremely difficult circumstances." He finished, "Even in darkness, light endures. Tonight, the values at the heart of Chanukah matter more than ever."

The Sydney Morning Herald noted Leeser was the first Jewish person elected to the House from NSW for the Liberals. Commissioner Lanyon formally designated the event a terrorist act. "At 9.36pm, I declared this to be a terrorist incident," he said.

Lanyon confirmed special powers were active, stating "and we are currently investigating that at the moment – we will make sure that we prevent any further activity." He noted one shooter was dead and another hospitalized. The commissioner requested calm. "We have police right around the city at the moment," he said. "Our job is to respond to intelligence we get."

He added, "The police responded quickly. The police have responded in numbers. We have a significant investigation underway at the moment." Premier Minns confirmed the death toll. "As of now, there are at least 12 individuals that have been killed," he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

"One of the shooters has also been killed," Minns added. Lanyon clarified the 12 dead included the offender. Minns convened a crisis cabinet meeting to coordinate the response, delaying his media appearance.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the violence. "I am horrified and condemn today's heinous deadly attack on Jewish families gathered in Sydney to celebrate Hanukkah," he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. "My heart is with the Jewish community worldwide on this first day of Hanukkah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness."

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