The first funerals for victims of the devastating Bondi Beach terror attack were held in Sydney on Wednesday, as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated he expects the surviving suspect to face criminal charges within hours.
Funeral for British-born victim
Among those laid to rest was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, a father-of-five who grew up in Temple Fortune, north London. His funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he served as assistant rabbi.
During an emotional address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, told the congregation it was "unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense." He announced that rabbis would continue a tradition this Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, by lighting candles on Bondi Beach.
The funeral of another victim, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, was scheduled to take place later on Wednesday.
Prime Minister confirms imminent charges
In an interview with the Mamamia podcast on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Albanese confirmed he expected Naveed Akram, 24, to be charged in the "coming hours." Naveed recently awoke from a coma and is expected to survive his injuries.
Albanese detailed the attackers' motives, stating: "The evidence is that they were motivated by the sort of ideology of the Islamic State, that there were flags present in the back of their vehicle... This is a perverse ideology, a terrorist ideology that does not respect human life, and that is antisemitic in character, but anti-humanity as well."
The attack occurred at 6.47pm local time on Sunday in the Archer Park area of the famous beach. According to police, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival. Fifteen people were killed. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot by police and died at the scene.
Officer hailed for bravery, victims in hospital
One of the two police officers injured has been named as Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, 22. In a family statement, he was praised for his courage after being shot twice—once in the head and once in the shoulder—while patrolling the Hanukkah celebration. The statement revealed he has lost vision in one eye.
"Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months," the statement read. "In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able."
New South Wales Health confirmed that 21 people remain in Sydney hospitals following the attack. Of these, four are in a critical condition, and one is in a critical but stable condition.
The community continues to reel from the tragedy at one of Australia's most iconic locations, with the legal process now moving swiftly as the nation mourns.
