Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday that a New Jersey high school graduate and Israeli soldier is missing after Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state on Saturday.
Murphy said Saturday that 19-year-old Edan Alexander, who was serving with the IDF’s 51st Division of the Golani Brigade near the Gaza Strip when the Islamic terrorist group launched an attack, was named to a victim of the violence in Hoboken. The announcement was made at a candlelight vigil.
“Sadly, we now know that some of the missing people in Israel are New Jerseyans,” Murphy said. According to NJ.com.
The teenager graduated from Tenafly High School, a Bergen County public school, last year.
Alexander’s family has not heard from him since the horrific attack began.
“We are praying for Edan’s speedy and safe return. And we are praying for all the families in New Jersey and across the country whose loved ones are still missing.”
Authorities estimate at least 14 Americans were killed in the chaos. At least 20 other Americans are still missing.
Another man missing in Israel is a former New Jersey resident. Raoul Abramov’s family has not heard from the 20-year-old since he tried to escape the bullets of Hamas militants inside an Israeli air raid shelter.
He was at a party with six other people when he was shot.
Yael Abramoff, a doctor who now lives in Canada, told the Post: “I haven’t heard back from anyone and I couldn’t reach them by phone.” “There were just horrible stories about what was going on there.”
Murphy condemned the violence and promised at the vigil that his administration was working to increase law enforcement patrols in sensitive areas such as synagogues, schools and daycare centers.
“To all New Jerseyans who have friends or loved ones in Israel or the Middle East region, please know that our neighbors here and across the country stand with you. We will keep you and your family safe. I will do my best for this.” He wrote to X, Formerly known as Twitter.
“This was the bloodiest act of anti-Semitic violence since the Holocaust.”
President Biden has vowed the U.S. supports Israel, but held a private phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him to minimize civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip in response to deadly Hamas terrorist attacks. I told you.
In the call, the commander-in-chief reportedly said the White House and other countries were coordinating plans to safely extricate civilians from the combat zone.
