Eyewitnesses to Sunday's mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney say police officers hesitated as terrorists opened fire on a crowd of Jews gathered to celebrate Hanukkah.
Meanwhile, video analysis suggests officers waited several minutes after arriving on scene before engaging the attackers, the Washington Free Beacon reported Monday.
Shmulik Scuri, who was at the beach with his family when the attack began, told reporters that multiple police officers nearby failed to immediately respond as gunmen fired into a crowd estimated at more than 2,000 people.
At least 15 people were killed and roughly 40 others wounded in the massacre.
"They shoot, shoot," Scuri said. "Change magazines. And just shoot. … There was four policemen there. Nobody give fire back. Nothing. Like they froze."
Scuri said at least one of the attackers was able to reload both a rifle and a handgun repeatedly while firing uninterrupted into the crowd.
A timeline based on videos circulating on social media indicates that the two attackers — identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed — began shooting no later than 6:42 p.m., when footage shows beachgoers fleeing in panic, the report said.
Police appear to have been present almost immediately, with sirens and gunshots audible early in the video.
However, according to the analysis, police did not begin returning fire until around 6:48 p.m., when a bystander later identified as 43-year-old Ahmed el-Ahmed rushed Sajid Akram and disarmed him.
At that moment, police gunfire can be seen ricocheting near Naveed Akram, forcing him to duck for cover.
Video shows at least one armed officer taking cover behind a vehicle after Sajid Akram escaped el-Ahmed and regrouped with his son on a nearby bridge.
Police fatally shot Sajid Akram around 6:50 p.m. and critically wounded Naveed Akram about a minute later, according to the report.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns declined to directly address claims that police delayed returning fire when questioned at a press conference.
"I'm not going to speculate on that right now," Minns said, pointing instead to the bravery of officers injured during the response. He said their actions "saved countless lives" and urged the public not to rush to judgment.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon also defended the response, insisting police acted quickly.
"There was a massive police response," Lanyon said. "I am incredibly proud of the professionalism of our police and emergency service responders."
The shooting capped a surge in antisemitic incidents across Australia, including threats and arson attacks against Jewish businesses and synagogues.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement after the attack that made no mention of Jews or antisemitism, according to the report, prompting sharp criticism from Israeli officials.
"You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about Albanese.
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