Muslim Bystander Ahmed El Ahmed Disarmed Bondi Attacker, Now Recovering From Surgery
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A bystander named Ahmed El Ahmed rushed toward danger during the Bondi terror attack, disarming one of the gunmen at the scene. He suffered serious injuries and is currently recovering from surgery in hospital.
What Happened
As two men carried out a terror attack at Bondi Pavilion targeting a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, a bystander didn’t run away — he ran toward the danger.
Ahmed El Ahmed confronted one of the attackers and managed to take the gun away from him. In doing so, he was seriously injured.
“Ahmed El Ahmed took the gun off that perpetrator at great risk to himself and suffered serious injury as a result of that,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. “He’s currently going through operations today in hospital.”
Why His Story Is Resonating
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke highlighted Ahmed’s actions as an example of Australians standing together against the attack.
“All Australians stand together against that attack,” Burke said. “The police who were there standing together against the attackers, first responders standing together against the attackers, and even a bystander like Ahmed, standing there putting their own lives at risk against those attackers.”
The detail that a Muslim man risked his life to stop an anti-Semitic attack has become a powerful symbol of community solidarity in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The Police Response
Ahmed wasn’t alone in running toward danger. Albanese said he met with police who had been on the scene, “some of whom had been up all night.”
“Many people who were off-duty police headed towards Bondi last night from as far away as Newcastle and the Central Coast,” Albanese said. “They did so because of their commitment to their fellow Australians.”
Two police officers were seriously injured during the response.
What Is Hanukkah?
The attack took place on the first night of Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish holiday known as the “Festival of Lights.” The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and celebrates themes of religious freedom, resilience, and light overcoming darkness.
Albanese described the attack as “an act of pure evil, an act of terror, an act of anti-Semitism, an attack on the first day of Hanukkah targeted at the Jewish community. A dark day in Australia’s history on what should have been a day of light.”
The Community Response
Albanese encouraged Australians to show solidarity by lighting a candle and putting it in their front window at 6:47pm.
“To show that light will indeed defeat darkness, part of what Hanukkah celebrates, of course,” he said. “We are stronger than the cowards who did this.”
What Happens Next
Ahmed El Ahmed remains in hospital recovering from surgery. No update has been provided on his condition since the press conference.
Two police officers are also recovering from serious injuries sustained during the response.
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