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Islamic State Calls Bondi Beach Massacre a ‘Source of Pride,’ but Does Not Claim Responsibility
Mourners carry the casket of 10-year-old Matilda the youngest victim of a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach targeting an event for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday, at Chevra Kadisha Memorial Hall, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Islamic State said on Thursday the killing of 15 people at a Jewish event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was a “source of pride,” in an article published on the terrorist group’s telegram channel.
However, the group did not explicitly claim responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
The statement from Islamic State came on the same day that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised a crackdown on hate speech in the wake of the attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, as the youngest of 15 victims was laid to rest.
Yellow toy bees topped the coffin of 10-year-old Matilda, who was remembered as a “ray of sunshine” who loved animals and dancing.
Matilda’s middle name was Bee, which inspired attendees to wear bee stickers, and bring bee-themed toys and balloons, while some mourners wore yellow. Matilda’s family has asked the media not to use their surname.
“The tragic, so totally cruel, unfathomable murder of young Matilda is something to all of us as if our own daughter was taken from us,” said Rabbi Yehoram Ulman.
“Matilda grew up like a child would, loving what children love. She loved the outdoors, animals. She went to school, she had friends, everybody loved her.”
The alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire as hundreds of people celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach on Sunday. The attack, which shocked the nation and led to fears over rising antisemitism, appears to have been inspired by Islamic State, authorities say.
The line outside the hall where Matilda’s funeral was held at noon in Sydney’s eastern suburbs snaked down the street. Many mourners who could not get in watched the service on a screen outside the building.
Some were angry at the government, saying it had not done enough to combat a rise in antisemitism since the start of the war in Gaza.
“It’s like your heart’s been ripped out. It’s terrible … no one wants this,” said Jae Glover, 25, as he handed out bee stickers. “It’s a feeling, it could have been avoided. Antisemitism has now been brewing in Australia for over two years.”
As Matilda’s small white coffin was carried to a hearse at the end of the funeral, people gathered around to say their final goodbyes. Among the crowd was Matilda’s younger sister, Summer, clutching a small bumblebee toy in her hands while being comforted by her father.
“As the coffin was driving away, I was just whispering, ‘I’m so sorry, my baby. I’m so sorry, my baby,’ because I have five babies. We failed this baby,” said Chana Friedman, 37.
Elena Marguleva said the service was “heartbreaking and devastating,” and that she had not been eating or sleeping since the attack. “I can’t come to terms with how this could possibly happen.”
A funeral for the shooting‘s eldest victim, 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, was held earlier at the same hall. Tibor Weitzen, 78, and Reuven Morrison, 62, were also laid to rest on Thursday.
GOVERNMENT PLEDGES ACTION ON HATE SPEECH
Albanese said the government will seek to introduce legislation that makes it easier to charge people promoting hate speech and violence. Penalties would be increased, canceling or refusing visas would be made easier, and a regime for targeting organizations whose leaders engage in hate speech would be developed, he said.
“Australians are shocked and angry. I am angry. It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge much more,” Albanese told a news conference announcing the reforms.
Albanese’s government has said it has consistently denounced antisemitism over the last two years. It passed legislation to criminalize hate speech and in August it expelled the Iranian ambassador after accusing Tehran of directing two antisemitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Still, antisemitic incidents are mounting. A 19-year-old Sydney man was charged and will face court on Thursday after allegedly threatening violence toward a Jewish person on a flight from Bali to Sydney on Wednesday.
“Police will allege the man made antisemitic threats and hand gestures indicating violence toward the alleged victim, who the man knew to be affiliated with the Jewish community,” Australian Federal Police said on Thursday.
PHILIPPINES, ISLAMIC STATE LINKS INVESTIGATED
Police allege the attack was carried out by Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed. Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed Akram was charged with 59 offenses including murder and terror charges on Wednesday after waking from a coma. His case has been adjourned until April 2026, the court confirmed on Thursday.
The center-left Labor government has ruled out holding a Royal Commission, a high-level inquiry with judicial powers, into the shootings for now.
On Wednesday, the leader of New South Wales, where the attack took place, said he would next week recall the state parliament to pass urgent reforms on gun laws.
Police are looking into Australia-based Islamic State networks as well as the gunmen’s alleged links to terrorists in the Philippines.
The Philippines’ National Security Council on Wednesday said that while Sajid Akram and his son had been in the country for a month in November, the pair had not engaged in any military training.
Islamic State-linked networks are known to operate in the Philippines and have wielded some influence in the south of the country.
“There is no valid report or confirmation that the two received any form of military training while in the country and no evidence supports such a claim at present,” Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.
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‘For As Long As Necessary’: Katz Says Campaign Against Iran Entering Decisive Stage
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias make statements to the press, at the Ministry of Defense in Athens Greece, Jan. 20, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
i24 News – Israel Katz said Saturday that the confrontation with Iran had entered a “decisive phase,” as US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets continued and regional tensions escalated.
Speaking after a security assessment at Israel’s defense headquarters alongside Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and senior military and intelligence officials, the Israeli defense minister said the campaign against the Islamic Republic would continue “for as long as necessary.”
“The global and regional struggle against Iran, led by American President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is intensifying and entering its decisive phase,” Katz said.
Katz also praised US strikes on Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil hub, describing them as a “severe blow” to the Iranian regime. He said the attacks were an appropriate response to Iranian threats against the strategic Strait of Hormuz and to what he called Tehran’s attempts to pressure the international community.
At the same time, Katz said the Israeli Air Force was continuing a “powerful wave of attacks” against targets in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
He accused the Iranian leadership of using “regional and global terrorism” and strategic blackmail in an effort to deter Israel and the United States from pursuing their military campaign, warning that such actions would be met with a “strong and uncompromising response.”
Katz added that the outcome of the conflict would ultimately depend on the Iranian population. “Only the Iranian people can put an end to this situation through a determined struggle, until the overthrow of the terrorist regime and the salvation of Iran,” he said.
According to the minister, the confrontation now pits the Iranian regime’s determination to survive against growing military pressure from Israel and its allies.
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Trump Rejects Efforts to Launch Iran Ceasefire Talks, Sources Say
US President Donald Trump speaks on the day he honors reigning Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Inter Miami CF players and team officials with an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump’s administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to three sources familiar with the efforts.
Iran, for its part, has rejected the possibility of any ceasefire until US and Israeli strikes end, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters, adding that several countries had been trying to mediate an end to the conflict.
The lack of interest from Washington and Tehran suggests both sides are digging in for an extended conflict, even as the widening war inflicts civilian casualties and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz sends oil prices soaring.
US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, on Friday night underscored Trump’s determination to press ahead with his military assault. Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and threatened to step up attacks on neighboring countries.
The war has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran, and created the biggest-ever oil supply disruption as maritime traffic has halted in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.
ATTEMPTS TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
Oman, which mediated talks before the war, has tried multiple times to open a line of communication, but the White House has made clear it is not interested, according to two sources, who like others in this story were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about diplomatic matters.
A senior White House official confirmed Trump has rebuffed those efforts to start talks and is focused on pressing ahead with the war to further weaken Tehran’s military capabilities.
“He’s not interested in that right now, and we’re going to continue with the mission unabated. Maybe there’s a day, but not right now,” the official said.
During the first week of the war, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s leadership and military were so battered by US-Israeli strikes that they wanted to talk, but that it was “Too Late!” He has a history of shifting foreign policy stances without warning, making it hard to rule out that he might test the waters for restarting diplomacy.
“President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually will talk. For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated,” a second senior White House official said when asked to comment on this story.
The Iranian sources said Tehran has rejected efforts by several countries to negotiate a ceasefire until the US and Israel end their airstrikes and meet Iran’s demands, which include a permanent end to US and Israeli attacks and compensation as part of a ceasefire.
Egypt, which was involved in mediation before the war, has also tried to reopen communications, according to three security and diplomatic sources. While the efforts do not appear to have made progress, they have secured some military restraint from neighboring countries hit by Iran, according to one of the sources.
Egypt’s foreign ministry, the government of Oman and the Iranian government did not respond to requests for comment.
POSITIONS HARDEN ON ALL SIDES
The war’s impact on global oil markets has significantly increased the cost for the United States.
Some US officials and advisers to Trump urge a quick end to the war, warning that surging gasoline prices could exact a high political price from the president’s Republican Party, with US midterm elections looming.
Others are pressing Trump to maintain the offensive against the Islamic Republic to destroy its missile program and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to Reuters reporting.
Trump’s rejection of diplomatic efforts could indicate that, for now, the administration has no plans for a quick end to the war.
Indeed, both the United States and Iran appear even less willing to engage than during the opening days of the war, when senior US officials reached out to Oman to discuss de-escalating, according to several sources.
One source said Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also sought to use Oman as a conduit for ceasefire discussions that would have involved U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
But those discussions have not materialized.
Instead, Iran’s position has hardened, said a third senior Iranian source.
“Whatever was communicated previously through the diplomatic channels is irrelevant now,” said the source.
“The Guards strongly believe that if they lose control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will lose the war,” the source added, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite paramilitary force that controls large parts of the economy.
“Therefore, the Guards will not accept any ceasefire, ceasefire talks, or diplomatic efforts, and Iran’s political leaders will not engage in such talks despite attempts by several countries.”
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US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.