I will provide a brief update on Operation Arques and then provide some broader commentary.
Yesterday, a Bonnyrigg man was charged with allegedly committing a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach where 15 people were lethally shot and 49 were injured on December 14, 2025.
He has been charged with 59 offences, including:
One count of commit terrorist act
15 counts of murder
40 counts of cause wounding/grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder
In the coming days, the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Teams will execute further search warrants to support our investigation.
There is a lot of material to be examined, and the AFP continues to work with domestic and international partners to build a more complete picture of the movements and who the alleged offenders had contact with in Australia and offshore.
I can also reveal the AFP has ongoing investigations into people who have been described as "hate preachers".
These individuals who spew hatred and cause fear are on my radar. The Counter Terrorism and Special investigations Command have been reviewing information and other material since I became Commissioner.
I would now like to make some broader comments.
I have just returned from Sydney, where the weight of grief hangs heavy because hatred and violence struck a peaceful and loving Jewish community.
Every day we see the beautiful and joyful faces now lost - and in them, we see our own loved ones.
Today, is the funeral of little Matilda. She was so young. So innocent.
My heart is so heavy for her family.
I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to families who are mourning and continue to bury loved ones.
One funeral is one too many, but the reality of this cruel attack is that some families will attend more than one.
I want to reiterate this today: As AFP Police Commissioner, I say to Jewish Australians, you do not share this grief alone.
I will share the weight of this unfathomable grief with you not just as a police officer who is dedicated to protecting and serving our country, but as a wife, a mother, a sister and a daughter.
The AFP is resolutely determined to protect Australians - and we will be visible and use all our resources and capabilities to identity and target those who want to do us harm.
Thank you.
