Seventeen people remain in hospital after Bondi Beach attack

Five of those are in a critical condition, with all of them receiving care in several Sydney hospitals.

It comes after Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences – including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack.

Akram and his father Sajid, 50, are suspected of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday evening.

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, and two officers were also non-fatally shot as gunfire was exchanged.

Naveed Akram remains under armed guard in hospital.

Along with the murders, he is accused of 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm.

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The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

Father-of-five Mr Schlanger, 41, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi.

During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, told the congregation it was “unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense”.

On Tuesday, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese met “hero Ahmed al Ahmed and his family”, adding: “I thanked him for the lives that he helped to save and I wished him all the very best with his surgery that he will undertake tomorrow.”

Father-of-two Mr Ahmed, 43, from Sydney, tackled one of the gunmen by sneaking up on him and wrestling his weapon away.