RELEASE: Gottheimer Statement on the Release of American Hostage Edan Alexander

NORTH JERSEY — Today, May 12, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement after Edan Alexander was released:

“Like everyone here in Jersey, I’m overwhelmed with emotion and joy. It’s hard to believe. After being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and enduring 584 days of relentless torture and suffering, 21-year-old Edan Alexander — my constituent from Tenafly, NJ — is finally coming home. 

Edan is an all-American kid who could have been anyone’s son. Through it all, the Alexander family never gave up hope — and neither did we. From traveling to Qatar and Egypt to the UAE and Israel, to pushing the Administration at every level, with the leadership of his parents, we fought tirelessly to bring him back home. In America and Jersey, we never leave anyone behind.

I’m deeply grateful to the negotiators and everyone who helped make today possible. But, we cannot forget the suffering Edan endured or the barbaric attack against Israel on October 7, where Hamas kidnapped, raped, and murdered more than a thousand innocent civilians, including dozens of Americans.

This war is not over until all the hostages are released and Israel’s security is guaranteed. That includes the return of the remains of the four Americans who were brutally murdered at the hands of Hamas — Omer Neutra, Itay Chen, Gadi Haggai, and Judi Weinstein Haggai. We will not rest until every last hostage is reunited with their families and loved ones.”

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