Bondi Attack Inquiry Urges National Gun Law Consistency in Australia

In an interim report released on Thursday, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion made 14 recommendations, five of which were not released publicly for national security reasons.

It said that federal, state and territory governments should prioritize efforts to implement consistent firearms laws and a gun buyback scheme to remove surplus and illegal guns from the community.

The inquiry was established by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in January after 15 people were killed in a fatal mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025.

The interim report handed down by Commissioner Virginia Bell said that the prime minister, state and territory leaders and national security committee members should participate in counter-terrorism exercises within nine months of each federal election and that a review of counter-terrorism police should be commissioned.

Additionally, it said that the police force in the state of New South Wales should increase security at Jewish festivals and events.

Albanese told reporters that all the recommendations relevant to the federal government would be adopted and implemented.

"We're not sitting back and just reading this document. We're acting on it," he said.

In the wake of the attack, Albanese committed to gun ownership reforms that would limit the number of firearms that can be legally owned by an individual and further restrict the type of guns that are legal.

He also announced plans for a national gun buyback scheme, under which Australians could hand in surplus and newly-restricted firearms, and called for the states and territories to agree to new reforms no later than March, Xinhua news agency reported.

As of the end of March, only four of the eight states and territories had signed up to the buyback scheme.

Alleged gunman Naveed Akram has been charged with murder and terrorism offenses over the attack, which authorities claim was motivated by Islamic State ideology. His father and fellow alleged perpetrator, Sajid Akram, was shot dead at the scene.

The royal commission will not examine the intention and motivation behind the attack to avoid influencing criminal proceedings.

It will hand down its final report by the first anniversary of the attack.

- IANS