Senior Israeli intelligence officials say Australia was warned months in advance about the establishment of foreign-linked terror infrastructure on its territory, including activities targeting Jewish communities, amid growing concerns about both Iranian-led operations and a possible resurgence of ISIS in Syria.
“We stopped a few ticking bombs,” the official said. “The target was on people’s heads.”
RABBI KILLED IN HANUKKAH ATTACK IN SYDNEY HAS WARNED AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER OF INCREASING ANTI-SEMITISM
People walk as police officers stand guard on the street after a shooting incident on Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, December 14, 2025. (AAP/Jeremy Piper/via Reuters)
The official said Israeli intelligence has identified Iranian leadership and coordination, including operatives who reportedly possess weapons and operate “in the center of Jewish communities” while remaining undetected by local authorities.
In the months leading up to the Bondi Beach attack, the Australian government expelled the Iranian ambassador after domestic security services publicly accused Iran of directing or facilitating attacks on Jewish targets in Australia. Tehran rejected the accusations and denied involvement.
After the shooting, Iranian state media published an official condemnation of the attack, denouncing the killing of civilians and rejecting any link between Iran and the violence. Australian officials said the investigation into the attack was ongoing and that it had not been attributed to any foreign state. An intelligence source said we will know in the coming days whether there has been any such guidance.
The Israeli intelligence assessments are consistent with warnings from a leading foreign diplomatic source, who described the current threat environment as driven by a global contagion effect, with extremist networks around the world amplifying and celebrating attacks, and encouraging others to repeat them.
According to the diplomatic source, online jihadist ecosystems play a central role in accelerating this dynamic, quickly turning incitement into action. From an operational perspective, the source says such attacks are becoming increasingly attractive to extremists because they are relatively easy to carry out while having a disproportionate impact.
FOLLOWING THE CHANUKKAH MASSACRE IN AUSTRALIA, CRITICS SAY EXTREMISTS REALIZED ANTI-SEMITISM AFTER OCTOBER 7
Armed police work at the scene following a shooting incident at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025. Australian police said two people were in custody following reports of multiple gunshots at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, and urged the public to take shelter. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
Two sources warned that the threat extends beyond Jewish targets, warning that attacks on Christian communities are also plausible, especially during overlapping Jewish and Christian holidays that tend to increase extremist motivation.
The senior Israeli intelligence official said Australia is not an isolated case, describing what he said is a sharp global rise in Iran-linked terrorist activity against Jews.
“Since the war, there has been a dramatic increase in Iran’s attempts to carry out terror against Jews around the world,” the official said. “Not just Australia.”
The official said Israeli intelligence has identified or disrupted similar activities in Europe, Africa and Asia, including Germany, Austria and multiple locations outside the Middle East, as well as alleged plots in South America, India and Thailand.
A second senior Israeli intelligence source said the threat landscape has deteriorated after two years of war in the Middle East, which the source said has boosted radical Islamist movements worldwide.
ISRAEL UNMASKS IRAN-TARGETED HAMAS CASH NETWORK IN TURKEY AS ANKARA PUSHES FOR GAZA’S ROLE
Police teams take security measures at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday following a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah. (Claudio Galdames A/Anadolu via Getty Images)
According to the source, the threat 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 warned in particular about developments in Syria, saying instability there could allow ISIS to regroup and reemerge, triggering new waves of violence outside the region. “I worry about Syria and that ISIS will return,” the source said, while also warning that the recent attack in Australia could lead to further violence elsewhere.
The intelligence warnings resurfaced after a terror attack Sunday evening during a public Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most iconic and most populous locations.
Australian authorities said two gunmen – a father and his adult son – opened fire on the beach, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens. Police said the father was killed at the scene, while the son was shot by officers and taken to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities classified the shooting as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
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A menorah is projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House after a shooting during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on December 15, 2025. (Reuters/Hollie Adams)
Although Australian officials have not linked the Bondi Beach attack to foreign intelligence leadership, the incident has intensified investigations into previous warnings, the rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the country and questions about whether sufficient action has been taken to disrupt emerging threats.
Australian leaders have condemned the attack, increased security around Jewish institutions and pledged to review anti-terrorism measures.
