A 90-year-old woman, a Holocaust survivor and who had been seriously injured in the terrorist attack carried out in December 2025 at Bondi Beach, in Australia, has died almost a year later as a result of the progressive worsening of her health condition. The attack left 15 dead and more than 40 injured.
The victim, Eva Geller, received several shots to her legs during the shooting on December 14, 2025, in Archer Park, where a Jewish celebration was taking place in honor of Hanukkah. Since then, she had been admitted and discharged on repeated occasions and underwent a long rehabilitation process from which she never fully recovered.
Finally, she died this Thursday night in Prince of Wales Hospital, where she had been hospitalized for several weeks, according to the Australian network ABC News. The New South Wales Police have stated that they are aware of the death and are awaiting more details, while continuing to cooperate with the office of the investigating judge.
Rabbi Aron Moss has underscored her enormous strength and her desire to keep going. As he has recounted, doctors initially warned her that she would probably never walk again, but she managed to regain mobility thanks to her determination. "After receiving the shots, the doctors told her she would never walk again. But, thanks to her steadfast determination, she got up and started walking again," he recalled in statements collected by the same outlet.
Geller came to Australia from Hungary when she was a child, along with her mother and grandmother. Both she and her husband, who has since died, managed to survive the Holocaust.
The news of her death has generated numerous expressions of sorrow among Australian political officials. The Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, has described the news as "heartbreaking" and has expressed his support for Geller’s loved ones and for the Jewish community. "We will never forget Eva or any of the victims whose lives were changed forever," he said.
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has regretted that the woman was unable to celebrate Hanukkah safely. "Her life changed forever because of an act of terrorism and antisemitism," he said, before extending his solidarity to the family, friends and the Jewish community.
The attack left 15 dead, including a ten-year-old girl, after two armed men opened fire against attendees at the Jewish holiday celebration. The attackers were shot dead by the Police seven minutes after the start of the shooting. One of the alleged perpetrators, Naveed Akram, continues to await trial on charges of terrorism and murder, while his father, Sajid Akram, died from gunfire by the agents at the scene of the attack.
After the massacre, a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was created, which has taken statements from more than 340 witnesses over the course of 62 sessions. The submission of its final report is set for December 18, four days later than the date initially scheduled, in order not to take away prominence from the acts of tribute for the attack.