Israel issues safety advisory for citizens abroad after Bondi Beach shooting
The advisory comes amid shock and outrage in Australia after officials said a father and son are suspected of killing 15 people on the Bondi beach.
Following the shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, Israel’s National Security Council issued updated safety guidelines for Israelis travelling abroad.
The advisory strongly recommends avoiding mass gatherings that lack adequate security, including events at synagogues, Chabad houses and Hanukkah celebrations, ANI news agency reported.
It also urges heightened vigilance around Jewish and Israeli sites, advising travellers to immediately report anything unusual to local security forces, such as suspicious individuals or objects, the report added.
The advisory comes amid shock and outrage in Australia after officials said a father and son are suspected of killing 15 people on the Bondi beach.
Israeli PM on Bondi Beach shooting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the shooting in Australia.
"I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve. Instead, prime minister, you replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement," Netanyahu said.
“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country”.
“You took no action. You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” he added.
Also Read | Australia planning to tighten gun laws after deadly Bondi Beach shooting
More on Bondi Beach shooting
Of the two gunmen, the 50-year-old father was killed at the scene, taking the death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital, police said at a press conference.
Police also said around 40 people were taken to hospital following the attack, including two police officers who were in serious but stable condition.
The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Security officials said one of the men was known to police but had not been considered an immediate threat.
National broadcaster ABC and other Australian media identified the men as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram.
Home Minister Tony Burke said the father had arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, while his son was an Australian-born citizen.
Police did not provide details about the firearms used, but videos from the scene appeared to show the men firing a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.
ABC News reported that two flags of the militant group Islamic State were found in the gunmen’s vehicle, citing unnamed sources.
