By Cordelia Hsu

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - As two gunmen opened fire on hundreds celebrating Hanukkah on ​Sydney’s Bondi Beach, 14-year-old Chaya Dadon’s mind was ​clear.

Across from where she had taken cover from the gunshots under a bench, Dadon saw two children ⁠stranded out in the open, beside their wounded parents.

"I knew in that moment, I felt like Hashem was sitting right next to me," she said in an interview with Reuters, using ​a Hebrew name for God. "He was whispering into my ear,'This is your ‍mission: go save those kids'."

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A man credited with saving lives for wrestling a ​gun from one of the alleged attackers ​during a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach received a cheque for more than ⁠A$2.5 million ($1.65 million) on Friday, after tens of thousands of people contributed to a donation website.

Ahmed al Ahmed hid behind parked cars before charging at ​one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his weapon and knocking ‍him to the ground. Ahmed ​suffered gunshot wounds after apparently being fired on by a second perpetrator and remains in hospital after undergoing surgery.

By Renju Jose

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Jewish community gathered at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Friday ​for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers ​paddled out into the water to honour the 15 victims killed after alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire at ⁠people celebrating Hanukkah.

Authorities have said Sunday's shooting, Australia's deadliest in almost 30 years, appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, and police have ramped up patrols and policing in ​an effort to prevent further violence.

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australian ​police said ​that seven men detained ⁠in Sydney's southwest on Thursday had ideological connections ​to the ‍two gunmen who ​allegedly fired at hundreds celebrating Hanukkah in Bondi Beach, killing ⁠15 people.

"We don't have definitive links between the individuals who committed these atrocities on Sunday and this yesterday ​apart from ⁠potential ⁠commonality in some thinking, but no associations at this stage," New South ‌Wales state Police Deputy ​Commissioner Dave Hudson told ABC Radio on Friday.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec ​18 (Reuters) - The ​United Nations ⁠General Assembly on Thursday elected Barham ​Salih, a ‍former Iraqi ​president who fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, ⁠asthe next U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Salih was elected without a vote ​by the ⁠193-member ⁠assembly after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nominated him ‌to succeed Italy’s ​Filippo Grandi, who has led the agency ‍since 2016.

Salih will begin a ‌five year ‌term on January 1, 2026.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, ⁠Editing by Franklin Paul)

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday plans to sign ​into law a nearly $1 trillion annual defense ​policy bill, despite its provisions providing new aid to Ukraine and reining in his ability to ⁠dial down U.S. involvement in the defense of Europe.

The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, authorizes a record $901 billion in annual military spending, $8 billion more than Trump ​requested.

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two more judges of the International Criminal Court after they rejected an attempt by Israel to end a war crimes probe in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had already ordered sanctions on judges and prosecutors in the case, explicitly linked the new measures to a vote Monday in which the two judges sided with the majority and upheld arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Dubai police on Thursday urged residents to stay indoors unless it was "absolutely necessary" as heavy rainfall was expected in the desert country which saw record downpours last year.

The warning came hours after rainfall in the Emirati city caused flooding in streets.

"For your safety, please remain cautious as unstable weather conditions are expected in the coming hours, and avoid going out unless it is absolutely necessary until midday on Friday," said a police alert sent to residents' phones.

The United States will host talks in Miami on Friday to push the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely visit him at the close of the year.

Trump's roving special envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Florida, a White House official told AFP Thursday, amid fears that efforts to reach the second stage of the deal are stalling.

WASHINGTON, Dec ​18 (Reuters) - ​U.S. ⁠President Donald Trump's special envoy ​Steve ‍Witkoff will ​meet Friday with ⁠Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish officials in Miami, ​Florida, ⁠to ⁠discuss the Gaza deal, ‌a White ​House official said on Thursday.

(Reporting ‍by Steve Holland, ‌Writing ‌by Caitlin Webber; Editing by ⁠Katharine Jackson)