The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion has released a 155-page interim report that raises more questions than answers about the Bondi massacre, which occurred on 14 December. More than a third of the report's recommendations are confidential, though the Albanese government intends to implement all of them.
What the Report Reveals
The report sheds light on the alleged attackers, Naveed and Sajid Akram, who reportedly targeted Jews at the Chanukah by the Sea festival. Fifteen people were killed in the attack. According to the report, Naveed had been linked to Islamic extremism since 2019. Sajid obtained a gun licence and six legal firearms after that, and the pair travelled to a region in the southern Philippines known for Islamic extremism a month before the attack.
In October 2025, police allege the pair underwent combat training at a farm in regional NSW and filmed videos pledging allegiance to Islamic State. Just two days before the attack, they drove to Archer Park at Bondi, where CCTV footage captured them walking along a footbridge in an alleged reconnaissance visit.
Confidential Chapters and Intelligence Gaps
Chapter five of the report, which deals with Commonwealth and state intelligence and law enforcement activities related to the Bondi attack, is entirely confidential. It will remain so until criminal proceedings are finalised. The report states that a public version should be released thereafter, but only as much as is consistent with national security.
No agency told the commission it was prevented from acting by existing legal frameworks. However, the possibility of failing to identify or act on intelligence cannot be discounted. Commissioner Virginia Bell noted that any attempt to answer these questions would likely occur behind closed doors.
The report also questions whether national intelligence agencies were properly funded, particularly the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), given that the terror threat level was raised to probable after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Bell found that national intelligence funding for counter-terrorism declined significantly from 2020 to 2025, although this did not affect the Australian Federal Police or NSW Police.
Local Police and Community Security
NSW Police may have questions to answer regarding their communications with the Jewish community security group (CSG). The CSG had repeatedly contacted police about antisemitic threats during Hanukah celebrations in 2025. Bell found that NSW Police did not appear to have completed a comprehensive written risk assessment for the Chanukah by the Sea event, despite the CSG deeming it high risk.
The report also criticised the slow progress towards a national firearms registry, describing it as unduly leisurely.
Confidential Recommendations
Four confidential recommendations were made concerning two central issues: the travel alert systems used by the Australian Border Force, which could have flagged the Akrams' travel to a known terror hotspot, and the sharing and securing of classified information.
Heroic Response of Lifesavers
Amid the deeper questions, the report also highlighted small details that capture the horror of the attack. The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club and Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club were hosting end-of-year celebrations when the gunfire started. They immediately rushed to help, with 85 volunteer lifesavers on the scene. They used 1,000 gauze swabs, 300 bandages, six tourniquets, 60 inhalers of emergency pain relief, and 40 oxygen masks, including 30 for adults and 10 for children.
The first block of the commission's public hearings, focusing on experiences of antisemitism, will begin on Monday.
