Bondi Beach attack suspect Naveed Akram charged

 The prime suspect of the Bondi Beach massacre faces 59 charges over the Sydney terror attack, which killed 15 people.

Akram, 24, was charged after waking up in the hospital following the mass shooting at the Hanukkah celebration on Sunday.

Among the victims is a ten-year-old girl, Matilda, Holocaust survivour, Alex Kleytman, and British-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, while 21 people remain in hospitals across Sydney.

Mourners gathered for Mr Schlanger’s funeral in Sydney today, the first burial for the victims of the atrocity.

Akram is accused of 15 counts of murder, and remains under police guard in the hospital. He is also charged with committing a terrorist act and 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

There will be a brief administrative hearing on his case on December 22.

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, was injured when he disarmed one of the attackers and pointed the weapon back at the gunman, forcing him to retreat before Mr al Ahmed was shot by the second assailant.

The Syrian-born fruit shop owner is recovering in hospital after surgery for five gunshot wounds.

Speaking from his hospital bed, where Australia’s prime minister also visited, he asked for prayers to help him recover.

His immigration lawyer, Sam Issa, said previously Mr al Ahmed didn’t regret what he did but the pain had started to ‘take a toll on him’ after the man was ‘riddled with bullets.’

A GoFundMe page set up to help the hero of Bondi Beach has raised over AU$2 million (£990,000) in less than two days.

A second bystander, Reuven Morrison, then stepped in and threw a brick at the gunman, while Mr al Ahmed, who had not fired the weapon, rested it against a nearby tree.

Mr Morrison’s daughter said her dad was ‘shot dead for being Jewish at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach while protecting lives, while jumping up, putting his own life at risk to save his fellow Jewish community members.’

Police has labelled the attack, one of the deadliest on the Jewish community in Australia’s history, a terrorist incident.