Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent a letter to the chip giant’s staff on Monday expressing gratitude for the release of Avinatan Or, an Israeli employee of the company who was released from Hamas captivity after two years.
Or then visited the Nova music festival with his partner, Noa Argamani, near Kibbutz Reim Hamas carried out a terrorist attack against communities near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023. Or and Argamani were both captured and held separately. Argamani was rescued in June 2024 during an Israeli military operation and was a prominent advocate for the release of Or and other hostages after she was freed.
After the US brokered a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, Or was released Monday along with other surviving hostages after more than two years of captivity.
“I am deeply moved and deeply grateful to share that our colleague, Avinatan Or, was released moments ago to the Red Cross in Gaza,” Huang wrote. “After two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity, Avinatan has returned home.”
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Released Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets well-wishers after arriving at a hospital. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Calcalist reported that Or started working for Nvidia in 2022 after earning an electrical engineering degree from Ben-Gurion University. He worked as an engineer at Nvidia’s VLSI group, which is part of the company’s networking division and plays a key role in Nvidia’s semiconductor design business in Israel.
Huang wrote that Or’s mother, Ditza, “inspired us all” through her “strength, courage and unwavering hope.”
He said that too Nvidia’s employees in Israel “stood vigil with her, united in the determination that Avinatan would return home safely. That unity reflected the very best of who we are.”
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Or’s partner Noa Argamani was an outspoken advocate for hostages after she was released, addressing the UN Security Council. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Thousands of Nvidia employees served with extraordinary courage in defense of their communities during the war,” Huang continued. “Many have faced tremendous pain, loss and uncertainty. Some have lost family members or loved ones.”
The Nvidia co-founder’s letter references several personal losses that have affected Nvidia’s team in Israel, including the death of employee Amit Chayut and the murder of Danielle Waldman and her partner.
Waldman is the daughter of Founder of Mellanox Eyal Waldman, whose company was acquired by Nvidia.
The letter from Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang expressed gratitude for the freedom of Avinatan Or and mourned the losses suffered by Nvidia’s Israeli division following the Hamas attack. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Hill & Valley Forum/Getty Images)
“The losses for both our Jewish, Druze and Arab families have been enormous. Grief knows no borders, no creeds, no divisions. We mourn together and we hope together – for peace, understanding and a future without fear,” Huang wrote.
“Avinatan – welcome home. Your safe return brings deep relief and joy to the entire Nvidia family. May this moment bring the first step towards recovery, renewal and lasting peace in the marketplace – for everyone affected by this war.”
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A spokesperson for Nvidia declined to comment on the letter.
