On December 14, 2025, two Islamic State supporters carried out the first mass casualty terrorist attack on Australian soil, targeting the Jewish community in the Sydney suburb of Bondi, Australia. This article analyses the Bondi massacre, what the attack involved and how it differs from earlier jihadi attacks in Australia. 

The article also examines how the attack came about, combining the currently available information on the pathways of the alleged attackers with the broader context of the Islamic State’s approach to transnational mobilisation and its recent efforts to exploit the war in Gaza to regain some global momentum. In doing so, this article identifies how the Islamic State’s post-Gaza adaptations contributed to the deadliest jihadi terror attack in Australia’s history.