SYDNEY -- Gefen Bitton, an Israeli citizen who rushed toward gunmen during last week's attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, is hospitalized and in a coma after being shot multiple times, according to Australian media reports.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Bitton, a man in his 30s who works as a garage door installer, was seriously wounded after choosing to return to the scene when he realized an active attack was underway. Friends said Bitton had initially run to safety but turned back in an effort to help others.
Social media footage reviewed by friends appears to show Bitton approaching one of the attackers alongside another man, attempting to distract the gunman and shield nearby civilians. Bitton was struck by several bullets fired from a hunting rifle and underwent complex surgeries. He remains in intensive care, where his condition has been described as serious but stable.
"He wasn't just nearby -- he acted," friend Cay Barr told the Herald. "He's in the ICU after multiple surgeries, and we're hoping he'll be strong enough to wake up in the coming days."
The second man seen confronting the attacker, Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian, was also injured and has been credited by authorities and witnesses with helping stop one of the assailants.
Bitton had traveled to Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah with friends. After the shooting, relatives and friends searched across Sydney hospitals before locating him at St Vincent's Hospital, already undergoing emergency surgery. His father later arrived from Israel to be with him.
Family members said Bitton does not consider himself a hero and acted purely on instinct. They have asked for privacy as he continues to receive medical treatment, saying their focus remains on his recovery.