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Hamas Agrees To Release NJ's Edan Alexander, Last Living American Hostage: Reports Hamas Agrees To Release NJ's Edan Alexander, Last Living American Hostage: Reports
Hamas Agrees To Release NJ's Edan Alexander, Last Living American Hostage: Reports Edan Alexander is coming home. The 20-year-old Tenafly, NJ native is the last surviving American-Israeli hostage taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack. Multiple news outlets including ABC and The Hill said on Friday, March 14, that the terrorist organization agreed to release Alexander along with the bodies of four other dual nationals. The announcement, which came on the Jewish holiday of Purim, was reportedly made on Telegram, according to The Hill. After graduating from Tenafly High School in 2022, Alexander volunteered to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He was serving at the G…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In NJ Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In NJ
Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In NJ A Columbia University graduate detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now at the center of a political firestorm as the Trump administration slashes federal funding to the school and enforces new visa restrictions targeting international students linked to protests. Mahmoud Khalil Detained Amid Federal Crackdown Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and recent Columbia graduate, was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday, March 8, outside his university-owned apartment in New York City. ICE claims his student visa was revoked, but …

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Trump Wants Hamas To Release NJ Hostage Edan Alexander: Envoy Trump Wants Hamas To Release NJ Hostage Edan Alexander: Envoy
Trump Wants Hamas To Release NJ Hostage Edan Alexander: Envoy "Edan Alexander is an American, and he’s injured—so he’s a top priority for us." That's what President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters Thursday, March 6, as negotiations intensify for the release of the 20-year-old Tenafly, NJ native still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Alexander is the only remaining Israeli-American hostage believed to still be alive in captivity, the NY Times reports. Witkoff, speaking on the former president’s behalf, expressed frustration with Hamas, calling for immediate transparency in the hostage situation. "We feel Hamas has not bee…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say
Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say A North Plainfield man admitted to trashing an Islamic center at Rutgers University-New Brunswick during an important Muslim holiday, authorities said. Jacob Beacher, 24, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to damage to religious property, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. According to court documents and statements, Beacher broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) at around 2:41 a.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 10. That day was Eid-al-Fitr, a holy celebration for Muslims at the end of Ramadan. Prosecutors said Beacher caused m…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Somerset County Man Tried Donating To Hamas, Threatened To Kill Israelis: Feds Somerset County Man Tried Donating To Hamas, Threatened To Kill Israelis: Feds
Somerset County Man Tried Donating To Hamas, Threatened To Kill Israelis: Feds A 25-year-old Somerset County man was sentenced on Monday, Sept. 30, to 64 months in prison, time served, after he pleaded guilty to concealing his attempts to provide support to Hamas, authorities said. Jonathan Xie, a Basking Ridge resident, admitted to sending money to Hamas to fund violent acts against Israeli civilians while brandishing a gun and holding a Hamas flag on an Instagram Live stream, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said. He had pleaded guilty in 2020 and was being held without bail. In December 2018, Xie sent $100 via Moneygram to an individual in Gaza he believed was a membe…

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by Sam Barron
News
Pro-Palestinian Protestors Stop Traffic Along Ben Franklin Bridge (VIDEO) Pro-Palestinian Protestors Stop Traffic Along Ben Franklin Bridge (VIDEO)
Pro-Palestinian Protestors Stop Traffic Along Ben Franklin Bridge (Video) Traffic along the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia came to a stop Saturday afternoon, March 2 due to pro-Palestinian protestors. The demonstration began outside City Hall before migrating to the bridge at approximately 2 p.m. The protestors could be heard chanting "Free Palestine" and "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free." Videos of the protest were shared to Citizen. Protests have been widespread since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, sparking a war between Israel and Gaza.

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Bridge And (Holland) Tunnel Traffic Blocked By Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators, 325 Arrests Made Bridge And (Holland) Tunnel Traffic Blocked By Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators, 325 Arrests Made
Bridge And (Holland) Tunnel Traffic Blocked By Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators, 325 Arrests Made The Holland Tunnel was closed for nearly an hour during an anti-Israeli protest in Manhattan at the tail end of Monday morning's rush hour. The NYPD and Port Authority police seized hundreds of “Shut it Down for Palestine” protestors before releasing them on misdemeanor charges -- not summonses -- after they blocked the entrances to the tunnel and three East River bridges. That means they must attend court dates in person. Any who don't can have warrants issued for their arrests. Some of the protesters linked themselves using concrete-filled tires while others held signs that said "Lift t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Politics
'Frightened Faces': Sen. Cory Booker In Israel Describes Horror During Surprise Hamas Attacks 'Frightened Faces': Sen. Cory Booker In Israel Describes Horror During Surprise Hamas Attacks
'Frightened Faces': Sen. Cory Booker In Israel Describes Horror During Surprise Hamas Attacks US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is safe, but he'll never be able to shake the horror he saw this weekend. The Harrington Park, New Jersey native posted a YouTube video, his backdrop the Old City in Jerusalem, on Sunday, Oct. 8.  Booker said he was jogging in Jerusalem on Saturday, Oct. 7, when he got an urgent call from his chief of staff, telling him to get back to the hotel immediately: Israel was under attack. Hamas, which controls Gaza, launched a surprise attack on Israel, wounding thousands and killing hundreds in the longtime conflict. “Citizens of Israel," Israeli P…

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by Cecilia Levine