Freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander gets joyful welcome home celebration in New Jersey
Joyful residents of Tenafly, New Jersey, lined the streets on Thursday to celebrate the homecoming of freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
The 21-year-old Tenafly native flew from Israel to the U.S., landing on Thursday, about one month after his May 12 release from captivity in Gaza.
The crowd of children and adults -- waving Israeli flags, American flags and "welcome home" signs -- erupted in cheers when the motorcade arrived. A smiling Alexander waved and gave high-fives to the crowd as his car slowly drove by.
"He looked really happy and we're really happy that he's back!" one girl told New York ABC station WABC.
"The community came out!" a Tenafly resident told WABC. "This is so long overdue. Welcome home, Edan."
"We're all really excited to have him back. It's a big deal," another resident added. "A part of our town's missing and now he's finally home."
Alexander, who moved to Israel at the age of 18, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was captured from his base during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. He was 19 when he was abducted and spent two birthdays in captivity. He was released following successful negotiations between the U.S. and Hamas.
"We always believed that this moment will come, always," his father, Adi Alexander, told ABC News in an exclusive interview last month. "Hope is mandatory. It finally happened."
Edan Alexander was the last living American hostage.
Fifty-two hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 people believed to be alive.
