Bondi Beach terrorist to face 19 extra charges over Hanukkah massacre

Officials say Naveed Akram faces extra charges over intent to murder and resisting arrest; hearing held over gag order on some names of victims and survivors of attack

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — An Australian man accused of killing 15 people in a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach will face 19 more charges related to the terror attack, officials said Wednesday.

Naveed Akram was already charged with 59 counts, including murder, attempted murder, and committing a terrorist act, after two gunmen opened fire on the Jewish festival event in December 2025. He hasn’t yet been required to enter a plea.

The 24-year-old was shot and wounded, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed in a gun battle with police that ended the terror attack. The massacre was inspired by the Islamic State group, Australian police said.

A procedural hearing in the younger Akram’s case was held on Wednesday in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court to discuss a gag order that suppresses the identities of victims and survivors of the attack who have not chosen to identify themselves publicly.

A video link from jail was scheduled for the hearing, but Akram did not appear on screen, the Australian Associated Press reported. A further hearing will be held on the matter in June.

Since Akram’s last appearance, 19 more charges were added on April 15 to the court’s register for the case, court staff said Wednesday. The additional counts included 10 of shooting with intent to murder and six of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest.

The men allegedly began their attack by throwing improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating Hanukkah at one of Australia’s most popular beaches, but the devices didn’t explode, according to court documents supplied earlier. A larger IED was found in the trunk of the son’s car, which had been draped with Islamic State group flags, police said.

The police investigation is one of three official inquiries examining Australia’s worst alleged terrorist attack and the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in 29 years.

Another one, which examined how law enforcement and intelligence agencies interacted before the attack, produced an interim report in April urging stricter gun controls. It was part of a wider royal commission, Australia’s highest form of public inquiry, which is investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in daily life as well as the circumstances of the Bondi shooting.

The commission began its public hearings on Monday.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.