A royal commission will investigate the Bondi Beach attack that killed 15, probing intelligence failures and rising antisemitism in Australia.
SYDNEY: Australia will establish a royal commission to investigate the mass shooting that killed 15 people at Bondi Beach.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the highest level of government inquiry on Thursday, following sustained public pressure.
The attack on December 14 targeted Jews at a Hanukkah celebration in the nation’s worst mass shooting in 30 years.
Alleged attackers Sajid Akram and his son Naveed were reportedly inspired by ISIS.
The royal commission will probe intelligence failures and the prevalence of antisemitism in Australia.
“What we’ve done is listen, and we’ve concluded that where we have landed today is an appropriate way forward for national unity,” Albanese said.
Victims’ families, business leaders, and other prominent figures had demanded a sweeping investigation through open letters.
The inquiry will be led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell and will include public hearings.
Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police during the assault.
His son Naveed Akram, 24, an Australian citizen, remains in prison charged with terrorism and 15 murders.
The attack has triggered national debates on antisemitism, security failures, and gun law reform.
Naveed Akram was flagged by intelligence in 2019 but was deemed no imminent threat.
Families of victims demanded a commission into the “rapid rise of antisemitism” in a December letter.
The government’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, said anti-Jewish prejudice had been growing for years.
The Akrams travelled to the southern Philippines before the attack, raising suspicions of extremist links.
Police maintain evidence suggests the pair acted alone without a broader terrorist cell.
Australia has since announced a major gun buyback scheme, its largest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
