SYDNEY, Dec 15: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday proposed tougher national gun laws after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, leaving at least 15 people dead. Albanese said he would propose new restrictions, including limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can obtain.

His proposals were announced after the authorities revealed that the older of the two gunmen - who were a father and son - had held a gun license for a decade and amassed his six guns legally. "The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese told reporters. "People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity,” he added.

At least 38 people were being treated in hospitals after the massacre on Sunday, when the two shooters fired indiscriminately on the beachfront festivities. Those killed included a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor.

The horror at Australia’s most popular beach was the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws primarily aimed at removing rapid-fire rifles from circulation. Albanese called the massacre an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation. He pledged swift change, planning on Monday afternoon to present his gun law proposals to a national cabinet meeting that includes state leaders.

Some of the measures would also require state legislation. "Some laws are commonwealth and some laws are implemented by the states," the Australian leader said. "What we want to do is to make sure that we’re all completely on the same page.” Christopher Minns, premier of New South Wales where Sydney is the state capital, agreed with Albanese that gun licenses should not be granted in perpetuity. Minns said his state's gun laws would change, but he could not yet detail how. (AP)