Bondi Beach shooting latest: Hero who disarmed gunman pictured in hospital after surgery - as more attack victims named

Ephraim Mirvis, the UK's chief rabbi, has revealed his family were caught up in the terror attack.

He told Mornings With Ridge and Frost he was flying to Sydney tomorrow after the "devastating" attack to be with the Jewish community in its seven-day period of mourning.

"Last night, my wife was checking up on family of ours - I have a cousin and his wife in Sydney. 'How are you?' And they said they were at the event," he said.

"For 15 terrifying minutes they were hiding under a doughnut stand, as people to their right and left were being shot dead. 

"This morning they went to synagogue to say prayers of gratitude, but they were among the fortunate ones. So we're feeling this very deeply right now."

Asked if he was fearful that a similar attack could happen in the UK, Mirvis said: "I'm fearful for all of our society. This is not a Jewish problem. It's a problem for all of our society."

Watch the full interview

Anthony Albanese has once more underlined his solidarity with the Jewish community targeted in the shooting.

Posting on social media, the Australian prime minister said he lit a candle in his window "in solidarity", as is custom during the eight nights of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

"Tonight and over the coming days, we are holding the Jewish community close," Albanese wrote.

The prime minister faced criticism over his past relationship with the Jewish community, however.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Albanese of pouring "fuel on the antisemitism fire" when he recognised Palestinian statehood in September.

During an interview on ABC this evening, Albanese was asked if he accepted a link.

"No I don't," the prime minister responded.

"And overwhelmingly, most of the world recognises a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East."

The parents of Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed one of the gunmen, have also paid tribute to their son's bravery.

His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told media in Arabic:

"I feel pride and honor because my son is a hero of Australia."

He said his son was a "hero" who was glad that he saved "innocent souls from these criminals and murderers".

His mother, Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, said:

"My son has always been brave, helps people. He likes that."

His parents also shed a light on how their son ended up tackling the gunman.

"His friend told him let's go have coffee at Bondi," his father said.

"They got there and were shocked to see armed men firing their weapons and terrorists."

Al Ahmed, who served with the police, noticed that one of the gunmen was hiding behind a tree and tackled him when he ran out of ammunition, ridding him of his weapon.

While the gunman escaped, the second attacker, who was on a bridge, shot al Ahmed and hit him in the shoulder.

This is the first photograph of Ahmed al Ahmed, nicknamed the "hero of Bondi Beach", in hospital.

He has had surgery after being shot while tackling and disarming one of the gunmen.

The photo was posted on social media by the premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, who visited al Ahmed.

In his post, Minns called the 43-year-old "a real-life hero", who saved "countless lives".

Australia has strict gun laws, especially compared to the US.

In Australia, you have to have a "genuine reason" to obtain a firearms licence. The government of New South Wales says such reasons include:

• Business or employment
• Animal welfare
• Recreational hunting and vermin control
• Sport

Australia tightened its gun laws significantly after Martin Bryant killed 35 people with semi-automatic weapons at a tourist spot in Tasmania in 1996.

John Howard, the prime minister at the time, reacted by pushing for tough new national gun laws that made it much more difficult for Australians to acquire firearms.

Twelve days after the shootings at Port Arthur, legislation was agreed that banned most people from owning rapid-fire rifles and shotguns.

In a government buyback scheme, more than 600,000 weapons were handed in and destroyed.

By 2009, there were 0.1 gun murders per 100,000 people in Australia compared to 3.2 per 100,000 in the US, according to contemporaneous data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Since then, there have been mass shootings in Australia, including two murder-suicides in 2014 and 2018 - with five and seven people killed - and a shootout in 2022 between police and Christian extremists, where six people were killed.

The UK minister for victims says security will be increased at upcoming Hanukkah events in response to the Bondi Beach attack.

Alex Davies-Jones tells Mornings With Ridge and Frost that such a precaution is a "sad indictment", but adds it's important that "the Jewish community have all of our support".

When asked if the UK government needs to do more to tackle antisemitism, Davis-Jones says: "We all need to do more."

"We are going further, whether that's with legislation, whether that's with financial support for the Jewish community, whether that's with introducing new offences of protesting outside religious places of worship to protect those who are just seeking to celebrate their faith. 

"There is more that we can all do. And we are going further."

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We've heard more on the cabinet meeting convened by the Australian prime minister after the attack today.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Anthony Albanese said it was "about making sure that we have states and territories aligned here" and about sending a message of support to Jewish Australians.

According to a readout, there was agreement among those at the meeting that "strong, decisive and focused action was needed on gun law reform as an immediate action".

The proposed options to be "developed" include accelerating work on standing up the National Firearms Register and tightening firearms licensing. 

Work on customs restrictions for weapons would be started "as an immediate priority", according to the statement.

The cabinet also "pledged to eradicate antisemitism, hate, violence and terrorism", noting "ongoing work" in enhancing the security of the Jewish community and cultural sites.

On this morning's Cheat Sheet podcast, Sophy Ridge and Wilfred Frost have the latest updates on the attack as Australia's prime minister promises to look into stricter gun laws.

In a news conference overnight, Anthony Albanese announced his cabinet would consider necessary action after the shooting. Among the measures discussed, he named tougher gun laws.

If existing laws needed to be tightened, Albanese said: "I'm certainly up for it."

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The attack is a "watermark event" for the Australian-Jewish community, Jamie Hyams, director of public affairs at the Australia, Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, says.

He tells Mornings With Ridge and Frost there's been a "spate of terrorism over the past two years, but this is a whole new level".

"It calls into question how our community can feel safe in Australia now once this has happened and the potential for it to keep on happening," he says. 

"It's a very concerning and very heartbreaking time for our Jewish community."

Hyams says Australia has "always been regarded as a fantastic place to be Jewish" but that people have become "more frightened" since the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

"People have started to wonder if there actually is a future for the Australian Jewish community. Some people are talking about moving to Israel, where it's safer."

Hyams says "stronger government action" is needed in Australia in response to the attack and to keep Australian Jews safe.

Watch his full interview