Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Ahmed Al-Ahmed in hospital, the hero shop owner who disarmed one of the alleged Bondi gunmen by throwing himself at the heavily armed man.
Albanese visited Al-Ahmed at Sydney's St George Hospital and praised the Syrian-born man as "the best of our country".
"He's very humble," Albanese said after his visit.
"At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity. We are a brave country.
"Ahmed Al-Ahmed represents the best of our country."
In a video released on Albanese's Instagram account, the prime minister said Al-Ahmed's heart was "strong", and his courage was "inspiring".
In response, Al-Ahmed put his hand on his heart and responded: "Thank you very much."
Albanese detailed Al-Ahmed's thought process leading up to his heroic act.
"He went through his thought processes as he saw the atrocities unfold. He had gone to Bondi with friends and relatives," Albanese told reporters.
"He was trying to get a cup of coffee, simple as that, and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him, he decided to take action, and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described Ahmed Al-Ahmed as "a hero that needs to be recognised". Source: AAP / Steven Markham
"We will not allow this country to be divided. That is what the terrorists seek, we will unite, we will embrace each other and we'll get through this," he said.
Al-Ahmed speaks from hospital
In a video shared by Türkiye's public broadcaster, TRT World, Al-Ahmed said he "appreciates the efforts of everyone" and called on people to pray for him.
"May Allah reward you and grant you well-being. God willing, we will return to you with joy," he said.
"Through Allah, I went through a very difficult phase. Only Allah knows it."
"I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother," Al-Ahmed said.
"God willing, it will be a minor injury."
A long recovery ahead
The 43-year-old father, who bystanders say likely saved many lives when he ripped a gun out of the hands of one of the alleged attackers, underwent surgery in hospital on Monday and faces a months-long recovery.
He will be undergoing further operations on Wednesday.
He's in pain but is supported by his family, who are equal parts worried and proud of his heroism, according to Lubaba Alhmidi Alkahil, media director for the Australians for Syria Association, who took flowers and food to his hospital room on Monday.
"I think at least he needs six months to recover ... it's badly damaged," she told the Australian Associated Press. "He has two daughters, little kids."
"When he threw himself on that bad guy ... he was just thinking how to save these people," Alkahil said.
Al-Ahmed's cousin, Mustafa Al-Asaad, said the bystander-turned-hero was shot in his left shoulder and hand.
Al-Asaad recounted his cousin, an Australian citizen originally from Syria, telling him: "God granted me courage to jump on the gunman."
"He wasn't thinking of death when he saw bullets flying in the air," Al-Asaad told BBC Arabic overnight.
Al-Ahmed's 'selfless courage' saved lives, Minns says
NSW Premier Chris Minns also visited Al-Ahmed in hospital on Monday night, praising his "incredible bravery".
"There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed's selfless courage," he said in a Facebook post.
Former prime minister John Howard also praised Al-Ahmed's bravery, saying his actions were a reminder that the community should "not lose faith in the Australian achievement".
"I understand he's a Muslim … that is a reminder that there are good people of every persuasion in this wonderful country," Howard told Sky News on Tuesday.
At least 16 people died, including one of the alleged gunmen, and many more were left injured after the gunmen took aim at a crowd gathered for a Hanukkah celebration at the beach just before 7pm on Sunday.
One of the gunmen, Naveed Akram, 24, is in police custody while the other, his 50-year-old father Sajid, was killed. Police have yet to confirm the identities of the alleged attackers.
Multiple videos posted to social media show the two alleged gunmen standing on a footbridge connecting Campbell Parade to the Bondi Pavilion and firing shots into a crowd.
Footage shows Al-Ahmed crouching behind a vehicle in the nearby car park, before sneaking up behind a gunman and wrestling the weapon from his grip.
The altercation sent the alleged shooter staggering to the ground, before he got up and walked towards the pedestrian bridge from which the other alleged gunman continued to fire.
"It was extraordinary, that footage of essentially creeping up behind a gunman who's involved in a mass shooting, and he was unarmed, and as a consequence he was shot twice as well, which is why he is in hospital," Albanese said before his hospital visit.
"He is a hero and that needs to be recognised and I'm absolutely certain that we will do that."
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