Crowds gathered to welcome home the American-Israeli soldier who was finally released by Hamas.

Edan Alexander was captured during the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. He was taken from his military base in southern Israel and held in Gaza for more than 19 months.

Dramatic footage shows locals gathered in Tenafly, New Jersey, to witness the live release of Edan on Monday, May 12.

Hamas announced his release as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration.

This marks the first release since Israel ended an eight-week ceasefire in March. Following the ceasefire's collapse, Israel launched heavy strikes on Gaza, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Israel has blitzed the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a terror attack by the governing party Hamas on a Jewish music festival on October 7, 2023.

However, the situation - which Israel claims is self-defence - has attracted criticism from around the world.