Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent a letter to all company employees on Monday, welcoming the release of Israeli employee Avinatan Or from Gaza. Or was one of more than 250 hostages captured by Hamas during an attack on Israel two years ago.
On Monday, Hamas, in accordance with an agreement reached with Israel, released 20 surviving hostages, including Or.
Huang wrote in the letter to employees, “I am deeply moved and immensely grateful to tell you that just now, our colleague Avinatan Or has been released and handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza.”
“After unimaginable two years of being imprisoned by Hamas, Avinatan has finally come home,” he said.
Huang mentioned that Or’s mother, Ditza, has “inspired all of us with her strength, courage, and unwavering hope.”
“During the war, thousands of Nvidia employees defended their communities with extraordinary courage,” Huang said. “Many faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty. Some lost family members or loved ones.”
The Nvidia co-founder also mentioned the several personnel losses suffered by the Nvidia Israel team.
“Our Jewish, Druze, and Arab families have suffered great losses. Grief knows no boundaries of nationality, faith, and differences. We mourn together and look forward together – to peace, understanding, and a future free of fear,” Huang wrote.
“Avinatan, welcome home. Your safe return brings deep comfort and joy to the entire Nvidia family. May this moment be the first step for all affected by this war towards recovery, revival, and lasting peace,” he said.
Israeli media outlet Calcalist reported that Or began working for Nvidia in 2022 after obtaining a degree in electrical engineering from Ben-Gurion University. He served as an engineer in Nvidia’s VLSI team, a part of Nvidia’s networking division that played a crucial role in Nvidia’s semiconductor design business in Israel.
On October 7, 2023, Or and his girlfriend Noa Argamani were attending the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Reim in Israel when they were attacked by Hamas terrorists. Or and Argamani were both kidnapped and held captive separately. Argamani, a mixed Jewish-Arab girl, was rescued in a military operation in Israel in June 2024. Argamani’s Chinese mother, Liora, passed away weeks after her release due to brain cancer.
Argamani has been actively advocating for the release of Or and other hostages since her own release.