Chief Minister sends message of solidarity to Australia after terror attack

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has written to the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and to the Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue in Sydney, Dr Benjamin Elton, to express the condolences and solidarity of the people of Gibraltar with the people and Jewish community of Australia following at antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia.

“As communities around the world come together to celebrate Hannukah, the People of Gibraltar send our solidarity, thoughts and prayers with the Jewish people of Australia as we unequivocally condemn the horrific, disgusting, sickening antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney this morning,” Mr Picardo said on Sunday.

Two terrorist gunmen killed 16 people including a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi in the Bondi Beach attack.

The attackers, father and son, were armed with what police described as “long guns” and opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday.

The attack has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a celebration in Sydney on the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, New South Wales Police confirmed.

A total of 42 people were taken to hospital where the 10-year-old girl was among those who died, the force said.

The older of the gunmen, a 50-year-old man, was shot by police and died at the scene while his son, a 24-year-old man, suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard.