Washington DC [US], December 15 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (local time) held a call with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to discuss the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, which targeted members of the Jewish community celebrating the first day of Hanukkah.

In a statement attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the US State Department said Secretary Rubio 'had a call today with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to discuss the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach.'

'The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Hanukkah celebration hosted by Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi. As Prime Minister Albanese said, this was 'an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism,'' the statement said.

'We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and with the Australian people as we pray for the victims and their families. We are grateful to Australian first responders and bystanders for their heroic response,' it added.

Referring to the significance of the festival, the statement said, 'As Jews around the world light Hanukkah candles tonight, they commemorate the triumph of light over darkness and the long history of Jewish resilience in the face of oppression. No community should have to fear publicly celebrating their faith and traditions due to the threat of extremist violence and terror. There can be no compromise with antisemitism - this scourge must be confronted and defeated.'

The call came as Australian authorities confirmed that the death toll from the shooting has risen to 16, with at least 40 people still hospitalised. The New South Wales Police Force said in a post on X, 'Police can confirm 16 people have died, and 40 people remain in hospital following yesterday's shooting at Bondi. More information will be made available soon.'

According to CNN, a Jewish community representative confirmed that a 12-year-old girl and a rabbi are among those killed in the attack.

Police said the area around Bondi Beach remains sealed off as investigations continue. 'Bondi Beach and surrounding roads in the Bondi area will be closed today as investigators continue to work through the crime scene. Aircraft, including drones, are prohibited from flying over the crime scene,' the police said in a separate post.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident in an address to the nation, describing it as a 'devastating terror attack' and expressing solidarity with the country's Jewish community.

In a post on X on Monday, Albanese also thanked police officers for their response. 'The dedication and commitment of police officers were on full display last night, when off-duty officers turned up at Bondi to help.They are the best of Australia. I received a briefing at Bondi Police Station and was able to thank many Officers personally. Thank you to all our police for your courage and your service,' he wrote.

Earlier, Rubio had also posted on X, saying, 'The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration.' He added, 'Antisemitism has no place in this world,' and said, 'Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.' (ANI)