Edan Alexander, held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 19 months, to return to hometown of Tenafly, N.J. on Thursday
CBS News New York has learned that Edan Alexander, a freed U.S.-Israeli hostage and New Jersey native, will return to his hometown of Tenafly on Thursday.
His father said Edan will fly back to the U.S. and then go to Tenafly, where the community is expected the line the streets to welcome him home.
"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."
Edan Alexander's abduction and release
Alexander, now 21, grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Tenafly High School before moving to Israel, where he was serving in the Israeli military on Oct. 7, 2023, when he was abducted during the Hamas-orchestrated attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
Held in captivity for 584 days, Alexander was released on May 12 after a deal was brokered by the Trump administration. He was taken to a Tel Aviv hospital after his release, and is believed to be the last living American citizen held in Gaza.
Hundreds of family members, friends and supporters gathered at Huyler Park in Tenafly to watch a livestream of Alexander's release.
Edan Alexander remained hopeful throughout the ordeal, father says
At the time, his parents told CBS News their son had been held in underground tunnels and never saw daylight, but they did say they saw him pleading for his release on the news.
"I think the fact that he saw us, saw us running and fighting and knocking on every door, kept him hopeful. I think the fact that he was kept with other hostages and not by himself kept him hopeful," said Adi Alexander, Edan's father.
Hamas, a U.S. and Israeli-designated terrorist group, said at the time that it would release Alexander without conditions in the hope of working toward a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and renewing the flow of vital humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
Alexander's return to New Jersey comes as the U.S. Embassy in Israel is dispatching evacuation flights and cruise ships for American citizens amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Iran.
