Former Hamas Hostage Gets Hero's Welcome When He Returns To Bergen County Hometown

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — After the terror group Hamas released Israeli soldier (and native New Jerseyan) Edan Alexander last month, he was reunited with his family in Israel. Then, on Thursday, he finally came home to his native Tenafly to a hero's welcome.

Alexander, who had graduated from Tenafly High School in 2022, was serving in the IDF near the Gaza Strip in October 2023 when Hamas kidnapped him. He was 19 years old.

He was held in captivity for 584 days, until he was released to a Red Cross facility in southern Israel in May to be reunited with his family.

On Thursday, residents of Tenafly cheered, chanted "Edan!" and held signs welcoming their native son home.

Alexander's family told news outlets that he had endured starvation and torture while in Hamas custody in Gaza. In April, he had even been forced to make a video to put pressure on Israeli leaders.

This week, he celebrated his homecoming with friends and relatives. He had left the state in 2022 after his high school graduation in order to join the IDF in Israel.

“Today is a huge day worthy of great celebration across our state!" said Bergen County-based Congressman Josh Gottheimer on Thursday. "After 584 days at the hands of Hamas terrorists, Jersey native, Tenafly resident, and my constituent, Edan Alexander, is finally home with his family and friends. Through it all, the strength of the Alexander family has been a guiding light for all of us in an incredibly dark period."

Gottheimer added, "Edan’s return is a reminder that we must not rest until every last hostage is reunited with their families and loved ones. That includes the return of the remains of the two Americans who were brutally murdered at the hands of Hamas — Omer Neutra and Itay Chen.”

The militant group Hamas killed as many as 1,200 people, including children, in Israel in October 2023, and kidnapped hundreds of others off the street. Among those killed were more than 200 attending a music festival.

After his release, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a veteran, said, "Edan’s family never gave up hope and never stopped fighting for their son and the remaining hostages. Their resilience inspires us all."

A temple in Bergen County wrote, "Tomorrow marks a moment we’ve all been waiting for with full hearts and hopeful prayers—Edan Alexander is coming home!"