Australian lifesavers return to duty at Bondi Beach

Around 1,000 surf lifesavers returned to duty at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Saturday, restarting regular patrols six days after two gunmen killed 15 people and wounded dozens more at a seaside celebration of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.



The mass shooting, Australia's worst ⁠in nearly 30 years, is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community, while authorities ⁠have ramped up patrols and policing across the country to prevent further violence.



The Bondi Beach volunteer and professional surf lifesavers, in their distinctive red and yellow uniforms, lined the sand on Saturday morning for two minutes of silence to honour the shooting victims.



In a statement for the livesaver group president, tribute was "out of respect to the Jewish community and also to support each other this morning".



On Friday, Australia's Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a huge circle in the waters off the famed beach to honour victims.



Prime Minister ⁠Anthony Albanese on Friday joined an event at the Great Synagogue in Sydney, writing on social media platform X: "All Australians stand together against antisemitism and hatred."