Eva Geller Dies After Bondi Beach Attack

Eva Geller, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who was wounded in the December 14, 2025, mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, died in a Sydney hospital nearly a year later. Her death was announced Friday by Evan Zlatkis, director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Geller was among about 40 people wounded when two gunmen allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group opened fire. Fifteen people, aged 10 to 87, were killed at the scene or in the attack; Geller’s death has been described by Jewish community representatives as making her the attack’s 16th victim. Rabbi Aron Moss said Geller had been strong and in relatively good health until she was shot in the leg. She had recently been hospitalized several times because of complications from surgery. Moss described her as a proud mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who remained positive through difficult months. Doctors initially told her she would never walk again, but she recovered enough to walk with a cane. Australian political leaders expressed condolences. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Geller’s death was heartbreaking and that the community continued to feel the pain and aftershock of the attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said she should have been able to celebrate Hanukkah safely and described the shooting as an act of terror and antisemitism. The surviving gunman, 25-year-old Naveed Akram, faces 15 murder charges, 43 attempted-murder charges and one charge of committing a terrorist act. He has not entered a plea. Authorities had not established whether Geller’s death would alter the charges. Police said they were awaiting advice from a state coroner, who will investigate the circumstances and cause of her death. Akram is expected to appear in court on February 24, when prosecutors anticipate finalizing the charges to be sent to the New South Wales Supreme Court for trial. His father, Sajid Akram, the other alleged gunman, was shot dead by police at the scene.

Eva Geller, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who was wounded in the December 14, 2025, mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, died in a Sydney hospital nearly a year later. Her death was announced by Evan Zlatkis, director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Geller was among about 40 people injured when two gunmen opened fire; 15 people were killed. Police shot one attacker, Sajid Akram, dead at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, has been charged with 15 counts of murder, 43 counts of attempted murder and committing a terrorist act. He has not yet entered a plea and is due in court on February 24, when prosecutors are expected to finalize the charges. He will face trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court. Rabbi Aron Moss said Geller had been in relatively good health before she was shot in the leg, but had since experienced surgical complications and several hospital admissions. Moss described her as a proud mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who maintained a positive outlook despite difficult months. Although she was told she would never walk again, she regained the ability to walk with a cane. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called her death heartbreaking and said the community continued to feel the pain and aftershock of the attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Geller should have been able to celebrate Chanukah safely, and that the attack—an act of terror and antisemitism—changed her life. Police are examining whether her death will affect the charges against Naveed Akram, pending advice from the state coroner. Other victims included a child, rabbis, an elderly Holocaust survivor, a couple who tried to stop a gunman, and a retired police detective.

Eva Geller, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor, has died in a Sydney hospital from complications related to injuries she sustained in the Bondi Beach terror attack nearly a year ago. Her death brings the toll from the Dec. 14, 2025, shooting to 16. Two gunmen opened fire during a Chanukah celebration, killing 15 people at the scene and wounding dozens. Australian authorities described the shooting as an antisemitic terrorist attack. Geller fled Romania as a child during the Holocaust. After the attack, she required repeated hospital stays because of the extent of her injuries. Rabbi Aron Moss, of Bondi Beach’s Nefesh Synagogue, said doctors initially believed she would never walk again, but she eventually regained the ability to walk and celebrated her 90th birthday. Although largely bedridden afterward, she remained positive. Moss also said she had lost many relatives in the Holocaust and her husband at a relatively young age. Arsen Ostrovsky, an Australian-Israeli human-rights lawyer who survived the attack, mourned Geller’s death on social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered condolences, saying Geller should have been able to celebrate Chanukah safely and that the attack changed her life. New South Wales police said they were aware of her death and were seeking further advice while working with the coroner’s office. Police say the alleged attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, were inspired by Islamic State. Sajid was killed by police at the scene; Naveed survived and faces 15 murder charges and a terrorism offense. The massacre was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in decades. In response, the New South Wales government made a rapid-response police unit permanent. A government-backed inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion is due to report on Dec. 18, after 62 days of hearings, more than 340 witnesses, and over 20,000 submissions. Geller’s funeral and memorial are scheduled for Monday.