Bondi Beach shooting latest: Family of hero who tackled gunman gives update after surgery - as more attack victims named

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."

Watch the full interview

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

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", a readout said.

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."

Tap to never miss an episode: Follow Cheat Sheet here

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

Ahmed al Ahmed, the man branded the "hero of Bondi Beach" after he tackled and disarmed one of the attackers, has had surgery for bullet wounds and is recovering in hospital, according to his cousin.

"He's done the first surgery. I think he's got two or three surgeries, that depend on the doctor, what he says," Jozay Alkanji said.

Al Ahmed suffered bullet wounds to his arm and hand during the attack, his family said. 

A GoFundMe campaign has raised over A$1,000,000 (about £500,000) for the 43-year-old fruit shop owner. Among the donors is Bill Ackman, the prominent billionaire hedge fund manager, who contributed A$99,999.

Watch: Hero tackles gunman

Our Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch is in Bondi Beach, where she has spoken to members of the Jewish community. 

"When you speak to the Jewish community here, they say despite the size of this attack, it wasn't without precedent," she says. 

"It isn't in isolation - they've had this increasing feeling of being exposed, of being vulnerable, of being unprotected."

This has extended to criticism of the Australian government and particularly the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.

"People say they haven't done enough to heed the warnings to respond to the attacks that preceded this," Lynch said. 

"We've seen Jewish synagogues, community centres targeted before this. 

"We've heard as well today from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also hitting out at the Australian leadership for not doing enough to protect the Jewish community."

Albanese promised to do all he can to protect the Jewish community.

"Many people here will want to know a lot more about exactly how he plans to prevent further attacks from happening," Lynch says.

Watch her full report from Bondi Beach...

The New South Wales health service has provided an update on the state of the victims.

In all, 27 patients were still receiving treatment in Sydney hospitals as of 5pm local time (6am UK time).

Six people are in a critical condition and another six are in a critical but stable condition. 

"It is possible that the death toll may rise yet," our Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch reports from Sydney. So far, 15 people have been confirmed dead.

Thirteen of the 27 patients were in a stable condition, according to NSW Health.

Earlier, the premier of New South Wales said 38 people were still in hospital.

Overall, at least 40 people were injured in the attack, according to the police.

Warning: This video includes footage of the attack.