Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang has shared the news with employees following the release of Avinatan Or, a colleague who was held captive by Hamas for over two years after being kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, a report has said. Or, a 32-year-old electrical engineer at Nvidia’s Tel Aviv research center, was freed 738 days after he was taken hostage, as part of a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. He was kidnapped along with his partner, Noa Argamani, who had been freed in a military rescue operation in June.
Read Jensen Huang’s letter below:
Dear NVIDIANs,I am profoundly moved and deeply grateful to share that, just moments ago, our colleague, Avinatan Or, was released to the Red Cross in Gaza. After two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity, Avinatan has come home.Throughout this time, our hearts have been with Avinatan and his loved ones — especially his mother, Ditza Or, whose strength, courage, and unwavering hope have inspired us all. Night after night, our employees in Israel stood with her in vigil, united in determination that Avinatan would return home safely. That unity reflected the very best of who we are.Or’s release brings a moment of profound relief to the company, marking one of the most emotional moments for Nvidia since the October 7 attacks. Or joined Nvidia in 2022 and worked as a DFT engineer in the company’s VLSI group, a core element of its semiconductor design operations in Israel.In his letter, Huang acknowledged the immense pain and loss faced by the company’s global staff during the conflict. “Thousands of NVIDIA employees have served with extraordinary bravery in defense of their communities during the war. Many have faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty,” Huang wrote.The CEO cited specific losses, noting, “We lost our colleague, Amit Chayut.” He also referenced a family loss close to the company’s operations: “Eyal suffered the heartbreaking loss of his daughter, Danielle, and her partner, Noam. We remember them with love, and we hold Eyal and his family close in our thoughts and prayers.”“The losses to our Jewish, Druze, and Arab families alike have been immense. Grief knows no borders, no faiths, no divisions. We mourn together, and we hope together — for peace, understanding, and a future without fear,” Huang continued.The letter concluded with a message of solidarity: “Avinatan — welcome home. Your safe return brings profound relief and joy to the entire NVIDIA family. May this moment mark the first step toward recovery, renewal, and lasting peace — for all who have been touched by this war.”