Naveed Akram in the spotlight after the Bondi terror attack: Sydney court 59-count terrorism/murder case linked to the Jewish festival shooting. Muslim-Australian, born in Pakistan.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bondi Beach to honor victims of the December 14 shooting, which killed 15 people. He laid stones from Jerusalem at the site, expressed solidarity, and discussed efforts to combat antisemitism. The visit included security measures amid protests over Israel's Gaza actions.
Australia is investigating a December 2025 mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach that killed 15, with accused Naveed Akram facing terrorism and murder charges. A Royal Commission led by Virginia Bell began in February 2026 to examine the attack, antisemitism, and social cohesion, with a report due by December. Separately, a man in Western Australia was arrested in February for allegedly planning racially motivated attacks on mosques and government sites.
Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach last December, killing 15 people. Inspired by Islamic State, he and his father planned the attack for months. Akram faces 59 charges, while his family fears vigilante violence. Courts rejected a gag order to protect relatives' identities.
Australia's royal commission has opened public hearings this week and has heard dozens of Jewish Australians describe a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since October 2023 and fear since the December Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack that killed 15. Witnesses are reporting public abuse, vandalism of schools and hiding Jewish identity in daily life.
Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 counts and now faces 19 additional charges as investigations unfold into Australia’s deadliest mass shooting on Bondi Beach.