NewsNation confirmed Edan Alexander evacuated Israel on Wednesday with his mother on a special evacuation flight back to the U.S. Once on American soil, he will return to his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, on Thursday.

Residents of Tenafly, New Jersey, came together on Thursday to celebrate the homecoming of freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.

Freed hostage Edan Alexander returns to New Jersey after release from Hamas captivity where he was greeted by emotional crowds and a community that never stopped praying.