Bondi Beach Massacre Death Toll Rises to 16 as Holocaust Survivor Eva Geller Dies

The Bondi Beach massacre has claimed a 16th life. Eva Geller, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who was shot while attending a Hanukkah celebration at the Sydney beach last December, died in hospital on Thursday, almost 11 months after the attack, Australia's deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years.

Geller had spent much of the past year in and out of hospital after the shooting.

Key Points

• Eva Geller, 90, died in a Sydney hospital on Thursday, November 5, 2026, taking the Bondi Beach massacre death toll to 16.
• Geller, a Holocaust survivor who fled Romania as a child, was shot in the December 14, 2025 attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.
• Doctors told her she would never walk again, but she recovered enough to walk and to celebrate her 90th birthday.
• Father and son Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, allegedly opened fire on the crowd; police say they were inspired by Islamic State.
• Her funeral is on Monday in Woollahra, and an inquiry into antisemitism is due to report on December 18.

What Happened

Geller died overnight in a Sydney hospital, Australian media reported on Friday, November 6. She had recently been admitted with an infection linked to her wounds and suffered a stroke at Prince of Wales Hospital, according to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. New South Wales Police said they were working with the coroner's office.

Her death makes her the eldest victim of the attack. The previous eldest was fellow Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87. The youngest victim was 10-year-old schoolgirl Matilda, who would have turned 11 on Thursday, the day Geller died.

Background: The Attack on Bondi Beach

On December 14, 2025, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Archer Park, near Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more wounded, in Australia's deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people died.

Police say the gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, were inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram survived, remains in custody, and faces 15 murder counts, a terrorist act charge and dozens of other offences. The attack struck at the heart of one of Sydney's best-known Jewish communities, and flowers, candles and notes piled up near the beach as vigils were held across the country.

Bondi Beach Massacre: A Life of Survival and Strength

For those who knew her, Geller's life was defined by survival long before the shooting. She fled Romania as a child during the Holocaust, escaping a catastrophe that claimed much of her family, and later lost her husband at a relatively early age. Yet friends say she kept a warmth and positivity that never left her, even in the hospital ward where she spent so much of the past year.

Rabbi Aron Moss, of Bondi's Nefesh Synagogue, which Geller attended, spoke of her fight to recover. "She was told after being shot that she would never walk again by the doctors," Moss said. "But through sheer determination, she got back up and she did walk again," he said, adding that while she was mostly bedridden since the attack, she kept on smiling.

"She was a child in the Holocaust years, she escaped, but she lost a lot of family. She lost her husband at quite an early age but, despite all that, she maintained a real positivity and happiness and a zest for life that was there right up until the end," Moss said.

Reactions and Tributes

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Geller in a statement on Friday. "Eva should have been able to celebrate Hanukkah in peace and safety and instead, her life was changed forever by an act of terror and antisemitism," Albanese said. "We are wrapping our arms around Eva's family, friends and the Jewish community at this very sad time," he added.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said her death was "heartbreaking" and expressed his condolences to her family. "We will never forget Eva or any victim whose life was changed forever," he said. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said the death was a reminder of the pain of the attack and the need "to support the Jewish community, first responders and all victims."

Why It Matters

Geller's death extends the toll of one of the worst acts of violence in modern Australian history, and the fact that she died almost a year after the shooting shows how long the consequences last — for the wounded, their families, and a community still living with the trauma.

It has also shaped a national debate about antisemitism. A government-backed inquiry into antisemitism, called after the attack, is due to report on December 18. Geller's story — a Holocaust survivor who escaped one genocide only to be shot at a Hanukkah celebration nine decades later — has become the most painful symbol of why that inquiry matters. For wider context, see our coverage of Trump's meeting with Putin envoy Dmitriev and Eisenkot's backing from 67 lawmakers in Israel.

What Happens Next

Geller's funeral takes place on Monday at Chevra Kadisha Memorial Hall in Woollahra, where family, friends and community members will farewell a woman whose life spanned from wartime Romania to modern Sydney. New South Wales Police said they were working with the coroner's office.

Naveed Akram's case also continues. He remains in custody facing 15 murder counts, a terrorist act charge and dozens of other offences, and authorities have not said whether the charges will be updated after Geller's death. Attention will then turn to December 18, when the antisemitism inquiry is due to report. Readers can also follow the second US carrier heading to the Middle East as the Iran decision nears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Eva Geller?

Eva Geller was a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who fled Romania as a child. She attended Bondi's Nefesh Synagogue and was shot at the December 14, 2025 Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. She died in hospital on November 5, 2026, almost 11 months later.

How many people died in the Bondi Beach attack?

Sixteen people have now died. Fifteen were killed in the attack, and Geller's death brought the toll to 16. Dozens more were wounded. It is Australia's deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed.

Who carried out the Bondi Beach attack?

Police say father and son Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire on the Hanukkah crowd at Archer Park near Bondi Beach, inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group.

What happened to the gunmen?

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram survived and remains in custody, facing 15 murder counts, a terrorist act charge and dozens of other offences.

When is Eva Geller's funeral, and what is the antisemitism inquiry?

Geller's funeral is on Monday at Chevra Kadisha Memorial Hall in Woollahra, Sydney. A government-backed inquiry into antisemitism, called after the attack, is due to report on December 18.