Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that tougher gun laws would be discussed at a National Cabinet meeting, indicating a potential tightening of the country’s already strict firearms regulations following a deadly antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Speaking to the media ahead of the 4:00 pm local meeting, Albanese said the agenda would include stricter controls, such as limiting the number of firearms an individual can hold and implementing periodic licence reviews. “People's circumstances change. People can be radicalised over time. Licences should not be permanent,” he said, emphasizing the need for ongoing oversight.

Albanese added that the federal government would propose measures to strengthen monitoring mechanisms. Later, he convened the National Cabinet to respond to what he described as an act of terror and antisemitism at Bondi. On X, he stated, “We stand with Jewish Australians and against hatred and violence. Australia is stronger than those who try to divide us, and we will come through this together.”

The attack targeted Jewish community members celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. Authorities have declared it a terrorist incident. According to New South Wales Health, 27 people remain hospitalized after the shooting. Investigators revealed the attack was carried out by a father-son duo; police killed the father at the scene, while the 24-year-old son is hospitalized. The son had previously been assessed by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, which had found no prior threat indicators. The father, who arrived in Australia in 1998, had a recreational hunting licence and was a member of a gun club.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns promised an “overwhelming” response, while nationwide security remains heightened. Australia already enforces some of the world’s strictest gun laws, introduced nearly 30 years ago after a mass shooting in Tasmania killed 35 people, leading to rapid reforms that restricted gun ownership and imposed strict licensing. Data from the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that between July 2023 and June 2024, Australia recorded 31 gun-related murders, a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 people.