Sydney: Australia observed a National Day of Reflection to honour the victims of last week’s gun attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a formal review of the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The day began with Indigenous leaders leading a traditional smoking ceremony at the Bondi Pavilion, overlooking the beach where an informal memorial has grown. Flowers, candles, and handwritten notes have been left in memory of the 15 people killed while celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Flags were lowered to half-mast at government buildings across the country, and Australians were asked to pause for a minute of silence at 6:47 pm local time, marking the moment the attack began. Authorities also encouraged people to light a candle in the evening, coinciding with the final day of Hanukkah, as a quiet act of remembrance with loved ones.
A public memorial was scheduled to take place at Bondi Beach later in the evening under heavy police security. Officers, including armed patrols, were deployed throughout the area as a precaution.
Tonight at 6:47pm, one week on from the terrorist attack at Bondi, we will pause for a minute’s silence and light a candle to remember the victims.
For our Jewish community, the pain is deep. For people across the country, the shock is still raw.
I encourage all Australians to… pic.twitter.com/FnRLUT9CNh
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 21, 2025
The December 14 shooting was Australia’s deadliest mass gun attack since 1996, when 35 people were killed in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Investigators are treating the incident as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
Police said the attackers were inspired by ISIL ideology and confirmed that flags linked to the group were found inside the vehicle used to reach the beach. The main suspect, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, who was also shot and later emerged from a coma, has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism-related crimes. He remains under police guard in the hospital. As of Sunday, 13 people injured in the attack were still being treated in Sydney hospitals.
Albanese said the tragedy raised serious concerns about intelligence failures, noting that one of the attackers had come to the attention of authorities years earlier. He announced an independent review to examine how intelligence assessments were handled and whether information-sharing systems were adequate.
Terrorists have sought to divide this country but this is a time to stand united – particularly on this National Day of Reflection.
There are organised rallies seeking to sow division in the aftermath of last Sunday’s antisemitic terrorist attack, and they have no place in…
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 21, 2025
The review will be led by a former head of Australia’s national intelligence agency and will assess whether police and security services have the powers, structures, and coordination needed to protect the public. The findings are expected by the end of April.
The prime minister also criticised anti-immigration rallies held in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, saying they sought to exploit the tragedy to fuel division.
Australia already has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, though experts continue to warn of gaps in the system. Albanese has previously announced plans for a nationwide gun buyback as part of broader efforts to strengthen public safety. As the country paused to reflect, the focus remained firmly on remembering the victims and confronting the failures that allowed the attack to happen.
