Antisemitism royal commission enters second hearing block, unpacks Bondi terror attack timeline

Eleven people were shot within 29 seconds of the Bondi Beach terror attack starting, a royal commission into the massacre has heard.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has entered a critical phase, assessing the circumstances surrounding the terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025.

Fifteen people were killed in the attack.

A number of intelligence and law enforcement figures have been called to give evidence, including ASIO director-general Mike Burgess and AFP assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt.

A "substantial" number of hearings will be shut to the public over the next three weeks.

In his opening address, counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said there was no evidence to suggest law enforcement and intelligence agencies had any information to suggest an armed attack was to occur at the Chanukah by the Sea event that was targeted.

He said the shooting could therefore be described as a "surprise attack".

Mr Lancaster said within 29 seconds of the gunmen beginning the attack, 11 people were shot, 10 fatally.

He said four NSW Police officers were at the scene when the shooting began, with that growing to 11 within five minutes.

He said three police officers were shot and injured in the attack, and the two gunmen were shot within seven minutes of the incident starting.

There were four police officers at Bondi Beach at the time of the attack, the royal commission heard, with officers previously told by NSW Police they were not required "to stay the duration" of the event.

A senior CSG NSW officer was asked if NSW Police were present for the entirety of Hanukkah events at the same location in 2023 and 2024, but he could not confirm.

The officer, who cannot be named, said there were 12 CSG NSW volunteers at the Chanukah by the Sea event last year.

The commission heard CSG NSW often works with third-party organisations to provide security at Jewish events, locations and institutions when volunteers were unavailable.

The CSG NSW officer said the cost of commercial guarding arrangements for 2026 was estimated to be $12.5 million.

Spy boss defends terrorism resourcing

The commission has previously heard Jewish Australians experienced an increase in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis.

Assistant Commissioner Nutt said there had been fears the war would have a "negative impact on the security environment" in Australia.

"And what we started to see was through protests and other activity, what has been described to me as the increase in the temperature in the community," he said.

"We saw increasing antisemitic chants. We saw gatherings where praising around the attack was occurring.

"We also saw an increasingly open display of prohibited hate symbols, specifically where we were concerned was around the symbols of prescribed terrorist organisations, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

"There was absolutely a concern that the antisemitism could escalate to actual terrorist acts."

In August 2024, the Australian government raised the national terrorism threat level from 'possible' to 'probable'.

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell has identified ASIO's response to the national threat level, and its resourcing of counter-terrorism, as key questions for the inquiry.

Commissioner Bell's interim report found the share of counter-terrorism funding "significantly declined" across Australia's intelligence agencies from 2020 to 2025.

During this time, ASIO's priorities shifted from addressing terrorism threats to tackling espionage and foreign interference.

But Mr Burgess maintained counter-terrorism resources were adequately funded and staffed throughout this time.

"At the same time, every rock we lifted up, we found espionage or foreign interference that need to be inquired and investigated," he told the commission.

"And so resources were moved over there. Of course, again, I reiterate that at no time do I believe we had any serious inquiries that was left uninquired or investigated.

"So yes, we were pivoting resources across because that's where the leads took us and where we were required to put effort."

'We can't be everywhere'

Mr Burgess was not asked any questions about the nature of intelligence ASIO had about the two men prior to the Bondi attack.

But he said it was difficult to gather information about people who did not express their extremist views in person or online.

"We can't be everywhere all at once," he said.

"We're not all seeing and all-knowing and we don't aspire to be."

The commission heard Mr Burgess would be recalled to give further evidence at closed hearings.

Hate crime incidents rise 2,000 per cent

According to NSW Police figures, reports of hate crime incidents against Jewish people annually increased from 40 in 2020 to 841 in 2025.

There were 155 reported incidents in the last quarter of 2024, with that number jumping to 309 in the first quarter of 2025.

There have been 287 incidents reported for the first quarter of 2026.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Leanne McCusker said the threat to the NSW Jewish community remained at a "concerning level" ahead of the December attack.

Commissioner Bell's interim report noted a written threat assessment was not developed by NSW Police for the Chanukah by the Sea event.

This was despite Jewish agency Community Security Group NSW (CSG NSW) conducting its own assessment ahead of the December 14 event, which found the risk of violence was high in the wake of "unprecedented" reports of antisemitic incidents across the state.

Assistant Commissioner McCusker said threat assessments were typically prepared for major public events, such as New Year's Eve, Australia Day and Mardi Gras.

But she noted she could "see no reason" why such an assessment could be also applied to Hanukkah celebrations.

The interim report recommended the procedures adopted by NSW for Jewish High Holy Days should also apply to other high-risk Jewish festivals and events, particularly those that have a public-facing element.

Assistant Commissioner McCusker noted the recommendation, but would not confirm if NSW Police would implement change ahead of Hanukkah celebrations at the end of the year.

'A lot of unease'

The CSG's chief operating officer also gave evidence using a pseudonym.

He said he was told in a phone conversation that NSW Police did not believe a static presence was required for the Chanukah by the Sea event, and another similar event in Dover Heights.

The royal commission heard he did not remember the specifics of the conversation, but that he "would have tried to convince" NSW Police to rethink its decision.

The man said he believed he told NSW Police there "would be a lot of unease" in the community without a static police presence for the entirety of the event.