Hundreds mourned in Sydney for Matilda, a 10-year-old killed in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled proposals to broaden hate-speech laws, expand visa cancellation powers and strengthen penalties for hate-driven crimes. Investigators say a father and son inspired by the Islamic State group carried out the attack; the younger suspect faces 59 charges and is hospitalized. Authorities continue to probe the pair’s links in Australia and their recent travel to the Philippines.
Australia Mourns 10-Year-Old Killed in Bondi Hanukkah Massacre As Prime Minister Proposes Tougher Hate Laws
Family carry the coffin following a service for Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Sydney on Thursday to bury Matilda, a 10-year-old girl who was among 15 people killed in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach. The attack — which Australian authorities say targeted Jewish worshippers and was inspired by the Islamic State group — has shocked the nation and prompted urgent debate over antisemitism, radicalization and public safety.
A mourner holds bumblebee balloons at the funeral of Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Community Grief and Tribute
Photos of Matilda, who has been publicly identified only by her first name at her family’s request, have become a focal point for national mourning. Her parents, who emigrated from Ukraine seeking a safer life, were among those at the service. A rabbi cited the family’s hope that Australia would be a place where parents can safely take their children to community events; mourners released bumblebee balloons — a reference to the family nickname “Matilda Bee” — and held stickers bearing a smiling bumblebee and menorah in her memory.
Tanya Joan Plibersek, centre, Minister for Social Services hugs a mourner at the funeral of Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Schoolteachers remembered Matilda as “our little ray of sunshine,” noting she had won a national literacy prize two days before the attack. The funeral was one of several services held as Sydney’s close-knit Jewish community continued to grieve other victims, including 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman.
Mourners react at the funeral of Bondi Beach mass shooting victim 10-year-old Matilda, whose last name is being withheld at the request of her family, in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Government Response: Proposed Hate Laws and Firearm Measures
At the same time Matilda’s service began, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a package of legislative proposals intended to curb radicalization and hate. The measures he outlined include broadening the legal definition of hate speech for religious or community leaders who incite violence, increasing penalties for hate-driven crimes, allowing judges to consider hate as an aggravating factor in online threats and harassment, and giving officials greater power to refuse or cancel visas for people deemed likely to spread division.
The casket is carried out during the funeral for Holocaust survivor and Bondi shooting victim, Alex Kleytman at Chevra Kadisha in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Albanese defended actions his government has already taken — including a ban in February on Nazi salutes — while acknowledging more could have been done. State leaders also pledged additional steps on firearms and tighter rules for protests. The prime minister did not provide a specific timeline for the reforms, citing legal and constitutional complexity.
Investigation and Suspects
Police say the suspects were a father and son inspired by the Islamic State group. The younger suspect, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, remains hospitalized in Sydney and was charged with 59 offences, including murder and committing a terrorist act; many details of the case are under a judge’s suppression order. The older suspect, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead on the day of the attack. Authorities say Sajid legally acquired the firearms used in the massacre and had been granted a gun licence in 2023 after his son previously came to the attention of security services.
Investigators are probing the pair’s links within Australia and their travel to the Philippines in November. Philippine officials said the men stayed in a budget hotel in Davao City and found no evidence they received structured training there.
Ongoing Impact
Health authorities reported that 16 other people remain hospitalized across Sydney, with two in critical condition. The episode has prompted intense public discussion about the government’s preparedness to confront extremist threats and protect minority communities, as well as renewed scrutiny of gun controls and online radicalization.
“This could have been my child,” Rabbi Dovid Slavin said, expressing a sentiment shared by many in the community as Australia faces a national reckoning over hate-fueled violence.
Reporting for this story was provided by The Associated Press. Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand, and Lavalette from Perth, Australia.
