Freed Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander is finally returning home to New Jersey on Thursday, more than 600 days after he was taken hostage by Hamas.
The 21-year-old is flying back to the US and will arrive home in Tenafly this afternoon, when well-wishers are expected to line the streets in welcome, his father told CBS News New York.
“I want to tell you, Edan, we love you and we are so happy you’re back,” the Alexander family’s rabbi, Yitzchak Gershovitz, told the outlet.
“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,” he said.
Alexander, believed to be the last living US citizen held in Gaza, was raised in the Garden State and graduated from Tenafly High School before moving to Israel, where he served in the country’s military.
He was on duty on Oct. 7, 2023, when he was abducted in the Hamas attack, which triggered the conflict in Gaza.
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Alexander was finally freed on May 12 after 584 days in captivity as part of a deal brokered by President Trump.
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Hundreds of friends, relatives and supporters gathered at Tenafly’s Huyler Park to watch a live stream of his release.
Alexander’s return to New Jersey comes as the US Embassy in Israel is dispatching evacuation flights and cruise ships to get American citizens out of the country amid the escalating conflict with Iran.
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