By Staff, Agencies

The Australian government has announced plans for a national gun buyback following last week’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday.

The attack, which left at least 15 people dead and more than two dozen injured, targeted a Hanukkah celebration organized by the local Jewish community.

The attackers reportedly pledged allegiance to the terrorist group ISIS. Police said one of the shooters legally owned six registered firearms under a valid license, all of which were recovered at the scene.

In response, Albanese has placed domestic gun policy at the center of the government’s agenda. On Monday, state and territory leaders agreed to pursue tougher nationwide firearms regulations.

Proposed measures include accelerating the rollout of a national firearms register, limiting the number of guns an individual can own, making Australian citizenship a requirement for a gun license, and further restricting permitted weapon types. Parliamentary approval will be required to fund the buyback program.

The scheme is expected to mirror Australia’s landmark 1996 gun buyback introduced after the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which killed 35 people and led to the destruction of about 650,000 firearms over one year.

As with that program, gun owners will be financially compensated for surrendered weapons.

According to The Australia Institute, civilian gun ownership has risen to more than four million firearms nationwide—around 25% higher than in 1996—equivalent to roughly one gun for every seven Australians.