Neighbors and area residents gathered in Edan Alexander's New Jersey hometown Monday to celebrate the Israeli-American soldier's release by the Hamas terrorists.
Around midday, Israeli military confirmed Alexander had been turned over to the Red Cross and was being brought to Israeli forces.
Alexander, 21, had been taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and killed nearly 1,200 people.
"Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, is being released. Congratulations to his wonderful parents, family, and friends!" President Donald Trump posted shortly after noon Monday on Truth Social.
An hour earlier, Last Stand PAC founder Jason D. Meister posted on X, "Trump speaking on the Jumbotron in Edan Alexander's hometown of Tenafly New Jersey. The entire town is patiently waiting for his successful release."
A huge crowd gathered at Tenafly's Huyler Park beginning around 5 a.m. to watch as his family arrived in Israel for Alexander's expected release, NorthJersey.com reported.
A large screen in the Tenafly park broadcast the latest news while music and signs supporting Alexander adorned the area.
Cheers broke out after the first photo of Alexander with Red Cross employees appeared on the screen.
"This is history right here," said Bergenfield’s Michael Berkowitz, whose family has a yard sign supporting Alexander.
Several high school students joined the crowd at the park.
"That just shows how our community is strong, together," said Tenafly's Adi, who did not give his last name to NewJersey.com, "and to miss someone that you never met is a feeling I never knew before."
"It's such a happy day for us," said Yonatan, another high school junior. "We stayed home from school. We came together, and seeing everyone come and support him, it's amazing to see."
Englewood's Lisa Schechter said she was proud to be part of the supportive community.
"I think we all need some light in these dark times," she said.
Shirly Zaifman, a friend of Alexander's family, explained her feelings.
"First of all, we want to see him out of there, and we want to see that he's in relatively good condition. Again, we're talking about more than a year and a half of captivity. So that's the first and foremost. That's the concern. We want to see that he is OK. But putting this aside, we are ecstatic," Zaifman said, WABC reported.
Another resident said it was crucial to show support for Alexander.
"Woke up at 3:45 this morning. It felt super important to come out here," the resident said. "It's a feeling, it's really different when you're watching on your couch and when you're sitting here with thousands of people to feel the emotion that everyone feels when it's done. Alexander lives just a few minutes away from here."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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