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Bondi shooting as it happened: Al Madina Dawah centre to be shut down in ‘important step’ for state; NSW firearm and hate speech legislation to be passed imminently; Albanese regrets politicised response to terror attack

Daniel Lo Surdo, Emily Kaine and Jack Gramenz
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

What we know tonight
Attack on any of us an attack on all of us: Minns visits mosque
Constable wakes after nine days in medically induced coma
Minns visits mosque with Jewish community leader
Christmas ‘miracle’ as shot officer leaves hospital
What we know this afternoon
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve festivities to honour Bondi attack victims
Burke: Government drafting Commonwealth components of gun reforms
Former judges and members of the Australian Bar urge royal commission
Premier claims ‘intifada’ chant proves need for law reform
Pinned post from 6.46pm on Dec 23, 2025
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What we know tonight

By Jack Gramenz

Australia continues to grapple with the Bondi Beach terror attack, more than a week after two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.

Here’s what you need to know this evening:

  • Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert has been discharged from hospital, while Constable Scott Dyson has woken from a medically induced coma.
  • Twelve victims were in hospital, with five in a critical but stable condition at 7.30pm on Tuesday night.
  • Premier Chris Minns visited Masjid Al Hidayah at Rockdale, along with Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper, saying Sydneysiders need to come together “to get through the terrible last week”.
  • The controversial Al Madina Dawah centre associated with Islamic preacher Wissam Haddad will close after the local council found the centre had never been allowed to operate as a prayer hall.
  • Minns is optimistic legislation targeting hate speech and firearms would pass parliament no later than Wednesday morning, calling them the “single best thing” to protect Sydneysiders.
  • Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane was praised for her collaborative approach, while debate continues in the state’s upper house.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he regrets how the response to the Bondi terror attack has been politicised, after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley fired a stunning rebuke of Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday.
  • Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve celebrations will pause for a moment’s silence to remember the 15 victims of the deadly Bondi Beach shooting and condemn antisemitism.

          We will continue to bring you comprehensive coverage on the response to the Bondi terror attack.

          Latest Posts

          Attack on any of us an attack on all of us: Minns visits mosque

          By Jack Gramenz

          Premier Chris Minns says Sydneysiders need to come together “to get through the terrible last week”.

          Minns shook hands and hugged faith leaders and community leaders at the Masjid Al Hidayah at Rockdale on Tuesday afternoon.

          NSW Premier Chris Minns arrives for an interfaith meeting at Masjid Al Hidayah on Tuesday.Dominic Lorrimer

          He was accompanied by Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper.

          NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip also attended.

          Constable wakes after nine days in medically induced coma

          By Jack Gramenz

          Constable Scott Dyson, critically injured responding to the Bondi terror attack, has woken from a medically induced coma after near-daily surgeries.

          “Scott has been getting stronger each day, and today, he was woken up for the first time,” his family said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

          “There is still a long way to go in his recovery, but this is a positive sign.”

          A photo provided by the family of NSW Police Constable Scott Dyson, who has woken from a medically induced coma.Dyson family

          The 25-year-old was shot in the shoulder and abdomen.

          Minns visits mosque with Jewish community leader

          By Jack Gramenz

          Premier Chris Minns has visited a mosque alongside the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip.

          The interfaith visit comes after the closure of an Islamic prayer centre in south-west Sydney which the local council says was never approved to operate as a prayer hall.

          Premier Chris Minns at an interfaith meeting at Masjid Al-Hidayah at Rockdale, following the terrorist attack in Bondi.Dominic Lorrimer

          Minns supported the Canterbury-Bankstown council’s decision to close the Al Madina Dawah centre at Bankstown today.

          He said it was an important change that came after “several days” of discussion between his government and the council.

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          WA reduces number of guns after firearms shake-up

          By Hamish Hastie

          Western Australia’s tough gun law reforms have reduced the number of firearms in the state by a quarter, and there are 11,200 fewer licence holders than in January 2022, when the Labor government began its overhaul of the legislation.

          As the federal government readies to launch its own gun buyback scheme after the horror Bondi shooting, figures provided to WAtoday by Police Minister Reece Whitby reveal there were 272,453 licensed firearms in the state as of December 12 and 77,781 individual gun licence holders.

          That constitutes a drop of more than a quarter in the number of licensed firearms compared to early 2022, when there were about 360,000 firearms registered and about 89,000 gun licences in the state.

          WA’s gun laws have been thrust to the national spotlight as the NSW government embarks on reforms of their own gun laws following the Bondi terrorist attack, which was carried out using legally acquired guns. WA Premier Roger Cook is also set to join NSW Premier Chris Minns to lead a national cabinet response to gun reform.

          Read the full story here.

          Christmas ‘miracle’ as shot officer leaves hospital

          By Jack Gramenz

          Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, one of the two officers shot in the Bondi Beach terror attack, has left hospital.

          Hibbert, 22, was one of the first police on the scene when the shooting started, just four months into the role.

          Probationary constable Jack Hibbert was dragging members of the public to safety when he was hit by gunfire.NSW Police

          He was shot in the head and shoulder and lost vision in one eye.

          His family said in a statement having him home for Christmas “truly feels like a miracle”.

          What we know this afternoon

          By Daniel Lo Surdo

          Australia continues to grapple with the Bondi Beach terror attack this afternoon, more than a week after two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.

          Here’s what you need to know this afternoon:

          • The controversial Al Madina Dawah centre associated with Islamic preacher Wissam Haddad will close after the local council found the centre had never been allowed to operate as a prayer hall. The Bankstown centre had only been approved to operate as a medical centre, and had been in the spotlight after associations with surviving Bondi shooter Naveed Akram emerged last week. Premier Chris Minns praised the move by Canterbury-Bankstown council, calling it an “important step” to supporting public safety.
          • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he regrets how the response to the Bondi terror attack has been politicised, after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley fired a stunning rebuke of Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday. Albanese promised to “argue for unity” in the days ahead, as he claimed it was not the time for “political product differentiation”. Ley accused Wong of being inactive and absent in the Albanese government’s response to the terror attack, saying that she hadn’t seen the foreign minister shed “a single tear” since the shooting. Energy Minister Chris Bowen called Ley’s remarks “disgusting”.
          • Minns is optimistic that the legislation drafted following the Bondi terror attack would pass parliament no later than tomorrow morning, calling the measures targeting hate speech and firearm possession the “single best thing” in the near-term to protect Sydneysiders. The legislation is before the Legislative Council today, and passed the Legislative Assembly after it won bipartisan support. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane was praised for her collaborative approach towards the reforms.
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          Mystery surrounds missing 200,000km in alleged terrorist’s car

          By Perry Duffin

          Counter Terror police are investigating why the car used by Naveed and Sajid Akram, the alleged Bondi terrorists, recorded more than 200,000 kilometres in just one year.

          The silver Hyundai Elantra was recorded as having 140,900km on the odometer in August 2024, official vehicle records from the NSW government show.

          But in August 2025, that number had jumped to 350,968km, more than doubling the car’s entire lifetime mileage in just one year.

          Police are aware of the massive increase in the car’s odometer and are investigating whether it reveals anything about the pair’s trips to remote NSW to practise using their weapons, as alleged in police fact sheets.

          As NSW embarks on a rewrite of gun laws, this is how it unfolded in another state

          By Hamish Hastie

          There are nearly 90,000 fewer firearms in WA and 11,200 fewer gun licence holders than in January 2022, when the Labor government embarked on its rewrite of gun laws in the state.

          According to figures provided to WAtoday by Police Minister Reece Whitby, there were 272,453 licensed firearms in the state as of December 12 and 77,781 individual gun licence holders.

          That constitutes a drop of more than a quarter in the number of licensed firearms compared to early 2022, when there were about 360,000 firearms registered and about 89,000 gun licences in the state.

          WA Police Minister Reece Whitby.Trevor Collens

          WA’s gun laws have been thrust to the national spotlight as the New South Wales government embarks on reforms of their own gun laws following the Bondi terrorist attack, which was carried out using legally acquired guns.

          Whitby said such a massive reduction in two years was a “powerful result” and showed the success of buyback schemes, tough legislation and relentless police work.

          Read the full story from WA state political reporter Hamish Hastie.

          ‘You can expect more of this, not less, in coming weeks’: Minns on Islamic centre closure

          By Emily Kaine

          Minns is fielding questions about the closure of Wissam Haddad’s Islamic centre after Canterbury-Bankstown council issued a “cease use” directive upon finding the Al Madina Dawah centre was never approved to operate as a prayer hall.

          Premier Chris Minns on Monday.Dominic Lorrimer

          “I’ve got to take my hat off to Bilal [El-Hayek], the mayor of Bankstown. He’s taken decisive action in relation to this. They’re, they’ve been in conversation with both us and the planning department for a number of days, as well as New South Wales Police.

          “And this is the kind of leadership that we need right now. Bilal has led that community for a number of years. He’s obviously decided this can’t go on. It’s not being used for the purposes in which the permit had been released. You can expect more of this, not less of it, in the coming weeks,” Minns said.

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