Bondi Beach terror attack: ‘Just beautiful’ massive surf vigil held to reclaim Bondi

Hundreds of surfers and beachgoers have returned to Bondi’s waters to pay tribute to those killed in a horrifying mass shooting.

Australia’s most famous beach has reopened after gunmen opened fire on Sunday’s Hanukkah celebrations, leaving 15 people dead.

Images of the slain and grieving have shocked the world but the local and international community are determined not to let the terror attack divide them.

Just a few hundred metres away from the scene of the massacre, surfers, paddle boarders, and others converged in massive circles off the shores of Bondi in a show of solidarity.

“It’s just beautiful,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Alex Ryvchin told the ABC.

“It’s a gorgeous day and you see that scene - I’ve seen paddle outs before, but never of that size.”

More than $5 million has been donated across various fundraisers, with more than 70,000 donations from people in more than 60 countries made to verified pages for victims, GoFundMe said.

This includes $2.5 million for Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed, who wrestled a firearm from one of the gunmen before being shot twice in the arm.

“I deserve it?” he asked, as he was presented with the oversized cheque.

In a video posted to social media, he urged people across the world to “stand with each other, all human beings and forget everything bad ... keep going to save lives”.

The Police Association of NSW has also set up appeals for two officers injured in the attack, including one who could lose his vision permanently, that have reached nearly $750,000.

More than 25,000 blood donations have been made since an appeal for help from Lifeblood in the wake of the attack.

About 90,000 Lifeblood appointments have been booked across Australia in a record-breaking show of support.

“We’ve seen nothing short of a tsunami of generosity and decency come our way to help boost supplies and help those in hospitals, from every corner of the country,” Lifeblood spokeswoman Jemma Falkenmire told AAP.

“What began as a frighteningly large (need for blood) on Sunday night ... has become a full-scale and national operation to accept thousands of generous gifts of blood.”

Those injured in the attack continue to be discharged from Sydney hospitals, with 16 still receiving care.

One is in a critical condition and four are listed by NSW Health as critical but stable.

The Australian National Imams Council has issued a message of togetherness for all preachers to incorporate in their sermons during Friday prayers.

“Islam calls believers to be builders of unity and peace, not agents of division and harm,” the council said.

“This is a time for unity, not division; for compassion, not hatred; and for standing together as one nation.”

The Jewish Council of Australia, which has been critical of the Albanese government’s efforts to address growing anti-Semitism, said grief should not be politicised or used as a weapon to sow division.

“This is a week of profound grief for Jewish people and the entire nation,” the council said.

“No policy response from the government should lose sight of the human cost of this violence.”

Police intercepted two cars at Liverpool, in Sydney’s southwest, on Thursday night over concerns that a “violent act” was possibly being planned.

Investigations are ongoing but police have not identified any connections to the Bondi attack.

Asked on ABC radio whether the men had links to “extremist Islamic ideology”, Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said: “That’s our belief at this stage.”