Israeli Intelligence Warned Australia of Terror Threats Months Before Bondi Beach Attack

Senior Israeli intelligence officials have revealed that Australia received specific warnings months before the recent Bondi Beach attack about foreign-linked terror infrastructure being established on Australian soil, with particular concern for threats targeting Jewish communities.

According to a high-ranking Israeli intelligence official who spoke with Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity, Israel’s foreign intelligence service provided Australian authorities with concrete warnings about what they described as Iranian-directed terror activity operating inside Australia. The official emphasized that while the warning did not specifically predict the Bondi Beach attack, it highlighted broader efforts to build terror networks targeting Jewish communities.

“We stopped a few ticking bombs,” the Israeli official stated. “The target was on people’s heads.”

The intelligence official claimed that Israeli services had identified Iranian guidance and coordination, including operatives allegedly possessing weapons and operating “in the center of Jewish communities” while remaining undetected by local authorities.

In the months preceding the Bondi Beach incident, the Australian government took the significant diplomatic step of expelling Iran’s ambassador after its domestic security services publicly accused Iran of directing or enabling attacks against Jewish targets within Australia. Tehran has consistently rejected these allegations and denied any involvement in the violence.

Following the shooting at Bondi Beach, Iranian state media published an official condemnation, denouncing the killing of civilians and rejecting any connection between Iran and the attack. Australian officials have stated that their investigation remains ongoing and have not yet attributed the attack to any foreign state.

The deadly attack at a public Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most iconic locations, left at least 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Australian authorities reported that two gunmen—a father and his adult son—opened fire on the beach. The father was killed at the scene, while the son was shot by officers and hospitalized in critical condition. Police have classified the incident as a terrorist attack specifically targeting the Jewish community.

The Israeli intelligence assessments align with warnings from a senior foreign diplomatic source, who described the current threat environment as being driven by a global “contagion effect,” in which extremist networks worldwide amplify and celebrate attacks, encouraging copycat violence.

According to this diplomatic source, online jihadist ecosystems play a central role in accelerating this dynamic, rapidly transforming incitement into action. From an operational standpoint, the source noted that such attacks are increasingly attractive to extremists because they require relatively simple planning while producing disproportionate impact.

Multiple sources cautioned that the threat extends beyond Jewish targets, warning that attacks against Christian communities are also plausible, particularly during overlapping religious holiday periods that tend to heighten extremist motivation.

“Since the war, there is a huge rise in attempts by Iran to execute terror all over the world against Jews,” the Israeli intelligence official said. “Not only Australia.”

The official claimed Israeli intelligence has identified or disrupted similar activity in Europe, Africa and Asia, including Germany, Austria and multiple locations beyond the Middle East, as well as alleged plots in South America, India and Thailand.

“If you knew how many terror attacks the Mossad has prevented, you would drop your jaw,” the official told Fox News Digital.

A second senior Israeli intelligence source noted that the threat landscape has worsened after two years of conflict in the Middle East, which they believe has energized radical Islamist movements globally. According to this source, the danger increasingly comes from lone actors or sleeper cells, which require minimal resources and are harder to detect, but can still cause mass casualties and inspire copycat attacks.

The source also expressed particular concern about developments in Syria, warning that ongoing instability could allow ISIS to regroup and reemerge, potentially creating new waves of violence beyond the region. “I’m worried about Syria and that ISIS will return,” the source said, while also cautioning that the recent attack in Australia could inspire further violence elsewhere.

While Australian officials have not explicitly linked the Bondi Beach attack to foreign intelligence direction, the incident has intensified scrutiny of earlier warnings, the documented rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide, and questions about whether sufficient action was taken to disrupt emerging threats.

In response to the attack, Australian leaders have condemned the violence, increased security around Jewish institutions, and pledged to conduct a thorough review of counterterrorism measures.