Latest news with #EdanAlexander
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander returns to a hero's welcome in New Jersey
Nearly 600 days after he was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, Edan Alexander returned home to New Jersey on Thursday to a deeply emotional homecoming. Hundreds of residents lined the rain-soaked streets of his hometown of Tenafly, waving American and Israeli flags and holding handmade signs, eager to welcome him back. Alexander, 21, was seen smiling and waving from the passenger seat of a black SUV as it slowly rolled through the 50,000-resident town, flanked by a police motorcade and cheering supporters. "Our community has been praying for him—585 days," said Rabbi Mordechai Shain, the family's longtime rabbi. There was a march every week for him to come home. It was like we lived it." 'You Saved My Life:' Freed Hostage Edan Alexander Thanks Trump In Emotional Phone Call Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF's Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers. Alexander was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during its deadly assault on southern Israel when he was 19 years old. Read On The Fox News App In May, he was released after more than 19 months in captivity, in what was described as a goodwill gesture following quiet negotiations between U.S. officials and Hamas. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Hostage Envoy Adam Boehler, played a key role in securing his release. Rabbi Shain, who has known Alexander since he was two years old, said Edan was known for his quiet kindness. "Even when he was a little boy, he was the one who helped without anyone knowing," the rabbi recalled, noting that Edan had taken a friend's shift on October 7, so the other soldier could go home—an act that led to his capture. American Hostage Edan Alexander Released By Hamas After More Than 580 Days In Captivity "As a person and a family, he just wants to go back to life and move on," said the rabbi. "This is a process. It's going to take time to heal because we don't even know how much torture he went through. He hasn't told us." During his time in captivity, Tenafly's Jewish community held weekly prayers, marches, and even celebrated Edan's birthday in his absence. "Over 800 people came to his Hanukkah birthday celebration," said the Rabbi. "We wanted him to know we hadn't forgotten." Alexander is expected to remain in New Jersey for now as he focuses on his recovery. He reportedly weighed just 121 pounds upon his release and suffered hand article source: Former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander returns to a hero's welcome in New Jersey
Fox News
14 hours ago
- Fox News
Former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander returns to a hero's welcome in New Jersey
Nearly 600 days after he was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, Edan Alexander returned home to New Jersey on Thursday to a deeply emotional homecoming. Hundreds of residents lined the rain-soaked streets of his hometown of Tenafly, waving American and Israeli flags and holding handmade signs, eager to welcome him back. Alexander, 21, was seen smiling and waving from the passenger seat of a black SUV as it slowly rolled through the 50,000-resident town, flanked by a police motorcade and cheering supporters. "Our community has been praying for him—585 days," said Rabbi Mordechai Shain, the family's longtime rabbi. There was a march every week for him to come home. It was like we lived it." Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF's Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers. Alexander was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during its deadly assault on southern Israel when he was 19 years old. In May, he was released after more than 19 months in captivity, in what was described as a goodwill gesture following quiet negotiations between U.S. officials and Hamas. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Hostage Envoy Adam Boehler, played a key role in securing his release. Rabbi Shain, who has known Alexander since he was two years old, said Edan was known for his quiet kindness. "Even when he was a little boy, he was the one who helped without anyone knowing," the rabbi recalled, noting that Edan had taken a friend's shift on October 7, so the other soldier could go home—an act that led to his capture. "As a person and a family, he just wants to go back to life and move on," said the rabbi. "This is a process. It's going to take time to heal because we don't even know how much torture he went through. He hasn't told us." During his time in captivity, Tenafly's Jewish community held weekly prayers, marches, and even celebrated Edan's birthday in his absence. "Over 800 people came to his Hanukkah birthday celebration," said the Rabbi. "We wanted him to know we hadn't forgotten." Alexander is expected to remain in New Jersey for now as he focuses on his recovery. He reportedly weighed just 121 pounds upon his release and suffered hand injuries.
15 hours ago
Freed American-Israeli hostage gets joyful welcome home celebration in New Jersey
Residents of Tenafly, New Jersey, came together on Thursday to celebrate the homecoming of freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
CBS News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Edan Alexander returns home to Tenafly, N.J. to cheers of his supporters
See the moment Edan Alexander arrives back in his hometown of Tenafly, N.J. See the moment Edan Alexander arrives back in his hometown of Tenafly, N.J. See the moment Edan Alexander arrives back in his hometown of Tenafly, N.J. Edan Alexander, an American taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, has finally returned his hometown in Tenafly, New Jersey. Hundreds of residents lined the streets to pay tribute, many waving Israeli and American flags. Crowds cheered as his motorcade passed through town. Edan Alexander returns home to New Jersey on June 19, 2025. CBS News New York Alexander smiled and waved to his supporters as he drove through the jubilant crowd, high fiving some well wishers and flashing a peace sign. CBS News New York brought you special coverage of Alexander's return home. Alexander spent nearly 600 days in captivity. Alexander held for more than a year After he graduated from high school, Alexander moved to Israel to serve in the Israeli military. On Oct. 7, Alexander, who was 19 at the time, was abducted by Hamas. He had been stationed at the border when he was taken hostage. Alexander was one 251 people kidnapped after the attack. After more than a year in captivity, Alexander was released on May 12 in a deal brokered by the Trump administration. Those who know Alexander say he was part of the Tenafly community and the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. Edan Alexander smiles as he arrives at his hometown of Tenafly, N.J. on June 19, 2025 after being held as a hostage by Hamas for nearly 600 days. CBS News New York "Edan's return is the return of everybody's child. Every organization. Every family. Every Israeli family. And not Israeli. Not Jewish. Everyone in this community was part of what Edan was going through and was hoping for today to come," Tenafly resident Orly Chen said. "We're so happy and relieved, and it's a closure for a long time battle to bring Edan back and fighting for Edan's return," Madi Oelsner of the Kaplen JCC said. "I don't think that Edan or his family are in time of celebrations because there are 53 hostages that are still in Gaza." Omer Neutra's family speaks out Meanwhile, the family of Omer Neutra, an Israeli-American soldier from New York who was killed during the Oct. 7 massacre, is speaking out as Alexander returns home. Neutra's body is still being held by Hamas. "Today marks 622 days since our son Omer was brutally taken from us. We share in the joy of the Alexander family as they welcome Edan home. At the same time, we remind the world that 53 hostages are still being held in the tunnels beneath Gaza — among them two Americans: our son Omer Neutra and Itay Chen," Oma and Ronen Neutra said. "We call on President Trump to seize this moment. This is not only a humanitarian imperative — it's an opportunity to help broker a comprehensive agreement that brings stability to the region and secures the release of all the hostages." Support for Alexander in Tenafly Hundreds of family members, friends and supporters gathered in his hometown last month to watch a livestream of Alexander's release. At the time, his parents told CBS News their son had been held in underground tunnels, never seeing daylight after being dragged into Gaza. Alexander is believed to be the last living American citizen that was held in Gaza. Bergen County, where Tenafly is located, has one of the largest Israeli-Jewish American communities outside of a major city. "I want to tell you, Edan, we love you and we are so happy you're back," said Yitzchak Gershovitz, the Alexander family's rabbi. "This is our brother. Our son returns home and our hearts are full of joy and happiness. There's only one word, it's a miracle of God."
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Edan Alexander gets tearful hometown welcome after 584 days in Hamas' clutches: ‘Their child is our child'
Thousands of cheering supporters lined the streets of Tenafly, New Jersey, to welcome hometown hero Edan Alexander, who at last returned safely to his family after enduring nearly 600 days of hell as a hostage of Hamas. Alexander, wearing dark sunglasses and smiling from ear to ear, told The Post he was feeling 'great' and said it was good to be back as the SUV he rode in rolled down the tree-lined main drag. People in the jubilant crowd held banners and signs reading 'Welcome home Edan,' and wrapped themselves in Israeli flags. Some jumped up and down and sang 'Am Yisrael Chai' — a Hebrew phrase translating to 'the people of Israel live.' Advertisement 6 Hundreds of friends, family and residents gathered downtown to watch the release of Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. citizen kidnapped by Hamas. Getty Images 6 Edan Alexander waving from a car window. LP Media The 21-year-old Israel Defense Forces staff sergeant was one of 251 Israelis taken captive by the terror group during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, and the last living American hostage to be released. Advertisement 'We didn't know if he was alive for a long time and that was very hard to think about,' Gaia Hamani, 25, of nearby Alpine, whose brother went to preschool and high school with Alexander, told The Post. 6 Crowds await the arrival of Edan Alexander in Tenafly, NJ on Thursday afternoon. LP Media 6 Crowd of people waving as the police motorcade carrying Edan Alexander passes by. LP Media 'He left everything. He left the comfort of his home in New Jersey. He didn't have to go to the army. He volunteered to do that. It takes a lot of courage and strength to do that.' Advertisement After learning of his disappearance, Hamani said she and her mother put photos of Alexander in their wallets as a constant memento. 'We prayed for him all the time. I always think of him in relation to my brother — to think what he went through, I can't imagine,' she said. 6 Edan Alexander, 19 (pictured). Family Handout Alexander was severely tortured and often locked in a cage during his captivity, and frequently shackled at the hands and feet, deep within the terrorists' underground tunnel network, according to the Kan public broadcaster. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Alexander's freedom was achieved last month through Israel's military pressure in Gaza, as well as political pressure by President Trump. 6 People celebrate on the day Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack, is released from captivity. REUTERS Hamani said she burst into tears when she was driving to the homecoming celebration and saw kids waving Israeli flags. Michal Fox, 51, of Englewood, a mother of four and a psychologist, said Alexander's safe return home was a bright, shining beacon of hope amid a long period of darkness for Jews both in Israel and the US. 'It's a great way for the community to come together. There are so many bad things that happened but we are going to celebrate him together,' she told The Post. 'It means to everyone that there is hope. There is resilience. He's the signature child, person for resilience and how we can get through things,' she added. 'I don't know them,' she said about Alexander's family, who were overjoyed at the news of his imminent release last month. 'I don't know anyone, but that's what the Jewish community does. We come together. Their child is our child.'
