Inside the Hamzy family’s bloody street war

When father and son Salim Hamze and Toufik Hamze were gunned down in broad daylight in western Sydney on Wednesday, they became the third and fourth members of the infamous crime family to be shot in a little over 12 months.

Salim, 18, and Toufik, 64, were targeted as they sat inside a ute at Osgood Street around 8.55am.

Salim could not be revived at the scene while his father was rushed to hospital but later died.

For years, the infamous Hamzy family has been involved in a bloody feud with the Alameddine gang.

It’s not exactly known how the war between the two crews began, but the latest chapter has its roots in a drug rip off and the public beatdown of an Alameddine associate.

The Hamzy family is led by Bassam Hamzy, who is serving a 40-year sentence for a string of serious offences including murder and the founder of notorious street gang Brothers 4 Life.

Crime editor Mark Morri delves deep into the Hamzy family and their long-running gangland feud across Sydney's criminal underworld.

The Hamzys have been involved in a bloody turf war with the Alameddine family over the last several years which led to police to take extraordinary steps in an attempt to keep the peace in Sydney’s west and south-west.

Last year officers went to the Supreme Court to apply for sweeping orders to restrict the freedoms of key members of the Hamzy crew.

Justice Peter Garling granted Serious Crime Prevention orders against two of Bassam Hamzy’s relatives - his brother Ghassan Amoun and cousin Ibrahim Hamzy - which restricted their movements and who they could communicate with.

Affidavits filed with the Supreme Court revealed what police described as an escalating war between the Hamzy and Alameddine groups which culminated in the shooting death of Mejid Hamzy outside his Condell Park home in October last year.

Police said that the feud erupted after Shaylin Zreika, a friend of the Alameddine family, was bashed with a metal pole during a wild street brawl in Sefton on October 14 which was captured on CCTV.

They alleged that Ibrahim Hamzy was one of the men who was involved in the beatdown but never charged him over the incident.

Two days later, according to police, the Hamzys ripped off a drug run which belonged to the Alameddines.

What followed was a cycle of violence.

On October 17, gunshots were fired into the Auburn home of Ibrahim Hamzy.

Two days later, an Alameddine family home was targeted in a drive-by shooting in the early hours of October 19.

Seven hours later, Mejid Hamzy was shot dead.

Ezzeddine Omar, 38, has been charged with murder over the Condell Park attack however is not alleged to be one of the gunmen.

He is alleged to have provided assistance with transport and during a bail hearing last month the court heard DNA evidence had linked Omar to a BMW allegedly used as a getaway vehicle during the incident.

In June this year, there was fresh violence when Bilal Hamze was killed in a drive-by shooting in the Sydney CBD.

Bilal - who is Bassam’s cousin - had just stepped out of a Japanese restaurant on Bridge Street when he was gunned down in a hail of bullets sprayed from a Black Audi which sped away.

No one has been charged over the shooting.

Following the death of Salim and Toufik Hamze, police said they were keeping an open mind as they hunt for two men who sped away and did not know who was responsible.

However State Crime Command director Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett noted they were worried about “reprisals” and the escalation of “family feuds”.