The Bondi Beach shooting in Australia continues to draw global attention as fresh information surfaces about the attackers. 

The attack is regarded as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in almost three decades and is under investigation as a terrorist act aimed at the Jewish community.

ISIS
In the latest developments, Australian police said on Tuesday that the two attackers had previously traveled to the Philippines, noting that they were apparently influenced by the ideology of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The attack was carried out by a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son. Police named the father as Sajid Akram, who was fatally shot by officers. His son, Naveed, is in critical condition in hospital after also being shot.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attackers might have been motivated by ISIS ideology.

The Australian flag flies next to bouquets of flowers outside Bondi Pavilion in Sydney. (AFP)

On Tuesday, authorities said the two men had been radicalized before carrying out the “massacre,” noting: “It appears their actions were driven by ISIS ideology which has persisted for over a decade, fostering a culture of hatred that, in this case, led to a willingness to commit mass murder.”

In a separate interview, he said that with ISIS’s emergence over a decade ago, the world has been afflicted by both extremism and the ideology behind it.

Albanese mentioned that Naveed Akram, an unemployed construction worker, caught the attention of the Australian intelligence agency in 2019 "due to his association with others" but was not considered an imminent threat at the time.

He added, "They investigated him, investigated his family members, and investigated people around him but he was not considered a person of interest at that time".

The Philippines Trip...
The Australian police are investigating the purpose of the attackers' trip to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Philippine police announced that they are conducting an investigation into the matter.

ISIS-affiliated groups continue to operate in the southern Philippines, but their reach has diminished over the years, confined to minor cells on the southern island of Mindanao.

According to Australian police, the son’s car was found to contain improvised explosive devices and two locally made ISIS flags.
The Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines noted on Tuesday that the accused traveled to the Philippines on November 1 on Philippine Airlines flight (PR212) from Sydney to Manila, and then to Davao City.
The office spokesperson indicated that Sajid Akram, an Indian citizen residing in Australia, traveled with an Indian passport, while his son Naveed Akram used an Australian passport. They arrived together on that flight.
The man and his son traveled on the same flight from Davao to Sydney via Manila on November 28, weeks before the attack.
It is still unclear what they did while in the Philippines or if they traveled elsewhere after landing in Davao.

Protection of Jews
Israel's ambassador to Australia called for greater protection for Jews as dozens of people gathered on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Tuesday to commemorate the shooting victims.
Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon urged the Australian government to take all necessary measures to protect the lives of Jews in Australia, noting that Sunday's attack is the worst episode in a series of anti-Semitic crimes recently witnessed in the city.
Maimon told reporters in Bondi, after laying flowers at the temporary memorial and offering condolences to the victims, "Australian Jews alone are forced to practice their religious rituals in secret, under the watch of surveillance cameras," adding: "My heart is broken... It is unbelievable."
He  wondered: “What can be expected when slogans calling for the death of Israel and the Israeli army are scrawled across synagogues, public buildings, and facilities throughout Australia, and cars are set on fire?”

Albanese visiting Ahmad Al-Ahmad. (AFP)

Tightening Gun Ownership Laws
In this context, the Australian government is currently reviewing gun ownership laws, following police statements that the older gunman owned six licensed weapons and had a gun license since 2015.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated on Tuesday that the gun laws introduced by the previous Liberal-National Coalition government in 1996, following the Port Arthur massacre, need reconsideration.
Albanese visited Ahmed Al-Ahmed in the hospital on Tuesday, recognizing him as a hero for his role during the shooting.
After his visit, he said, “He was simply trying to have a cup of coffee when he found himself witnessing people being shot. He chose to act, and his courage serves as an inspiration to all Australians.”