‘We’re Seeing Small Improvements’: Israeli Wounded in Sydney Attack Flown Home

Gefen Bitton, an Israeli living in Australia who was critically wounded while confronting gunmen during the deadly Bondi Beach Chanukah terror attack last month, is being flown to Israel on Wednesday for continued medical treatment, according to Israeli officials.

Bitton, 30, has undergone at least eight surgeries since the December attack and remains in serious condition. After days of stabilization and gradual improvement, doctors approved a complex medical evacuation, coordinated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, to transfer him to Israel for further care.

Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, spoke with Bitton ahead of the transfer, and consular officials worked with Australian authorities and medical teams to prepare the flight. Officials said the decision followed signs of improvement but stressed that Bitton’s recovery remains long and uncertain.

A friend told the Australian Jewish News earlier this week that Bitton is still in intensive care. “We’re seeing small improvements daily, as he slowly wakes up,” the friend said, adding that each step forward has been hard-won.

Footage from the scene showed civilians rushing to help as shots rang out. According to investigators and witness accounts, another bystander, Ahmed al-Ahmed, confronted and disarmed one of the attackers. Moments later, Bitton sprinted toward the scene to assist and was shot multiple times.

He sustained severe abdominal and pelvic injuries, suffering massive internal bleeding. Despite the chaos, Bitton managed to call his sister in Israel and tell her he had been shot before the line went dead. His friends in Sydney launched a frantic search, eventually locating him at St Vincent’s Hospital, where surgeons were fighting to save his life.

Bitton had been living and working in Australia for the past three years on a temporary visa. While he was hospitalized, Australian authorities granted him permanent residency, a move officials said was intended to remove legal and bureaucratic obstacles during his recovery. The status also provides access to Medicare and other support services as his treatment continues.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bitton in hospital this week, according to local reports. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described Bitton as a hero, saying he ran toward danger without hesitation to help others.

In an update shared by those close to him, supporters said Bitton, “an unarmed Israeli civilian, living in peace in Australia,” made a split-second decision to run toward danger. “He ran into the face of danger like only a hero does,” the update said. “A true hero that deserves recognition.”