Canadian politicians, police seek to reassure public after Bondi Beach attack at Hanukkah event in Australia

lifelessly mass shot at hannukah case in Australia

Australian PM calls for tougher gun laws after mass shooting targeting Jewish celebration

Carney says government 'will always stand with' Jewish community following Bondi Beach shooting

Hanukkah shooting at Bondi Beach a terrorist attack: Australian police

After Sydney attack, Liberal MP says more needs to be done to protect Jewish communities

Bondi Beach shooting a 'new and terrible low' in antisemitic attacks, rabbi says

Bondi Beach attack: Canadian witness recounts running to safety

Bondi Beach shooting: Video shows bystander tackling armed man

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both posted statements condemning antisemitism in light of the attack.

"The fear you feel is real, while celebrating your faith, gathering with loved ones or simply being visible," Chow told Toronto's Jewish community. She said the city stands with its Jewish community at Hanukkah and year-round.

Ford said Sunday his thoughts were with Jewish communities in Australia, Ontario and around the world, and he was praying those responsible would be "swiftly brought to justice."

"As we come together in support of our Jewish friends and neighbours to grieve this terrible attack, we must all stand with our Jewish community against hate and antisemitism wherever it is found," he said.

Police in the Greater Toronto Area posted on social media following the attack that they will increase their presence in the city's Jewish communities during Hanukkah.

Across the Greater Toronto Area, Jewish communities are both mourning and calling on their cities to stand up to antisemitism.

Toronto's Jewish community — which makes up about three per cent of the city's population — has been scared by the rise of antisemitism in the city and beyond, said Sara Lefton with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

"When we see hateful words turn into hateful actions, like we've seen in Sydney, Australia, the Jewish community in Toronto knows that we're not far behind," she said Sunday.

While Jews in Toronto still feel relatively safe, they "don’t feel as safe as they did a few years ago," said Anna Shternshis, director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto.

The rise in hate, she said, has come following Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's ensuing actions in Gaza, where this week more than 16,000 people are waiting to be evacuated to receive medical attention after two-plus years of war.

A man who has been hailed as a hero for disarming one of the shooters is now recovering from gunshot wounds in hospital.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Muslim father of two, hid behind parked cars before charging at one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his rifle and knocking him to the ground, according to Reuters.

He was shot twice by a second perpetrator, Albanese said. Ahmed's family said he was hit in the hand and arm.

Ahmed's father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told ABC News in an interview that his son was an Australian citizen and sells fruits and vegetables.

"My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people," Mohamed Fateh said.

"When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon."

Jozay Alkanji, Ahmed's cousin, said he had had initial surgery and may need more.

Donations have poured in for Ahmed, surpassing $1 million Cdn.

Carney says government 'will always stand with' Jewish community following Bondi Beach shooting

Prime Minister Mark Carney attended a menorah lighting in Ottawa on Sunday to mark the beginning of Hanukkah, speaking in English and French as he paid tribute to the 'resilience of the Jewish people' and expressed solidarity with the community after the Bondi Beach mass shooting in Australia earlier that day.

"Jews were literally gunned down, including my colleague and even an extended relative of mine, a rabbi in Sydney," said Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn with Chabad of Centrepointe, who was taking part at an annual menorah lighting at Ottawa's Ben Franklin Place.

He said he once served as a junior rabbi in Australia for two years and was at the same Bondi Beach event in 1999 and 2000.

Some community members stayed home from Sunday's celebration out of fear they could be "the next target," Mendelsohn said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, who represents the Ottawa riding of Nepean, also spoke at a Hanukkah event at Ottawa city hall Sunday.

Hi, this is Holly Cabrera. I'm a writer from Montreal.

The mass shooting on Sunday prompted Montreal’s police force to reassure locals.

After the attack, Montreal police said they would increase their vigilance and visibility in areas where Jewish neighbourhood celebrations are taking place until the end of Hanukkah.

They said in a media statement they were in "direct contact with leaders of Montreal's Jewish community and are listening to their concerns."

In response to the shooting, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said in a social media post that the "attack on a Jewish community in Australia breaks my heart."

Witness describes 'constant chaos' as he tried to help victims of Bondi Beach attack

Abdullah Ashraf, who was on the scene after gunmen targeted a Jewish event at Australia's famous Bondi Beach, described on Monday what he saw and how he responded. 'If I have the ability to help someone, how can I not help them?' he said.

Harrowing witness accounts are beginning to shed light on how the shooting unfolded over a span of 10 minutes.

Abdullah Ashraf, a witness of the shooting, described how he and others attempted to stop the bleeding on the wounds of several victims.

He first helped a police officer, who he said had been shot in the torso and leg.

"He was very brave," Ashraf said.

Someone soon came to ask him for help tending to other victims, insisting even though he told them he wasn't a medical professional.

"I saw this young man, just lying down. I didn't even know if he was alive. I tried to talk to him," Ashraf said, noting the man was around his age, in his twenties.

"But in that moment, all I could do was, I don't know — give him some hope, comfort him. Unfortunately, he passed away."

The identities of the victims haven't been formally revealed by authorities, but some information has begun to emerge.

Their ages range from 10 to 87 and among them was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and an organizer of the family Hanukkah event that was targeted, The Associated Press reported. Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish movement that runs outreach worldwide and sponsors events during major Jewish holidays.

Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Israeli citizen, but gave no further details. French President Emmanuel Macron said a French citizen, identified as Dan Elkayam, was among those killed.

Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney that her husband, Alexander Kleytman, was among the dead. The couple were both Holocaust survivors, according to The Australian newspaper.

It's evening again in Australia. All day Monday, Bondi Beach was mostly bare of its usual throng of swimmers, surfers and runners.

Mourners paid their respects and laid flowers at a makeshift memorial at the Bondi Pavilion, overlooking the beach. Israeli and Australian flags were draped at the memorial. Police and private Jewish security guards patrolled.

Bondi resident Morgan Gabriel, 27, said she had been heading to a nearby cinema when she heard what she thought were fireworks, before people started running up her street.

"It's a very sad time this morning," she told Reuters. "So this is very, very quiet. And there's definitely a solemn sort of vibe."

Also at the memorial was Rabbi Mendel Kastel, whose brother-in-law Eli Schlanger was killed on Sunday.

"We need to step up at a time like this," Kastel said. "And we will, and we will get through this, and we know that. The Australian community will help us do it."

The incident has raised questions whether Australia's gun laws, among the toughest in the world, need an overhaul.

Police said the older suspect had held a firearms licence since 2015, along with six registered weapons, according to Reuters.

Albanese said his cabinet agreed on a national firearms register to tackle aspects such as the number of weapons permitted by gun licences, and how long the latter are valid.

"People's circumstances can change," he said. "People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity."

The prime minister said other measures being considered included curbs on open-ended licences, limits on weapons held by a single individual, and the types of guns that are legal, including modifications, with permits restricted to Australian citizens.

Police gave no details about the firearms used in the shooting, but videos from the scene showed the men firing weapons that appeared to be a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.

Hi, I'm a member of the live page team. We're resuming our live coverage in the aftermath of the Hanukkah shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

Yesterday, two gunmen opened fire on a crowd attending a celebration of the Jewish holiday at the famous beach.

Sixteen people have died, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor.

The elder shooter, a 50-year-old man, was killed by police. His 24-year-old son remains in a coma.

Nearly 40 people who were wounded are in hospital.

The shooting was deemed an antisemitic terror attack by Australian authorities and has sent shockwaves globally as the victims' identities come to light.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to tighten his country's gun laws.

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