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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 freed from Hamas captivity after two years.
Or he was attending the Nova music festival with his partner, Noa Argamani, near Kibbutz Reim, when Hamas carried out a terrorist attack against communities near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023. Gold and Argamani were both captured and detained separately. Argamani was rescued in June 2024 during an Israeli military operation and was a vocal advocate for the release of Or and other hostages following her release.
After the United States 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 in captivity.
“I am deeply moved and deeply grateful to announce that, moments ago, our colleague Avinatan Or was handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza,” Huang wrote. “After two unimaginable years of captivity in Hamas, Avinatan is back home.”
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Freed Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets well-wishers after arriving at hospital. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Calcalist reported that Or started working for Nvidia in 2022 after graduating from Ben-Gurion University with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked as an engineer in Nvidia’s VLSI group, part of the company’s networking division and plays a key role in Nvidia’s semiconductor design operations in Israel.
Huang wrote that Or’s mother, Ditza, “inspired us all” with her “strength, courage and unwavering hope.”
He also said that Nvidia employees in Israel “We stood by his side in vigil, united in the determination that Avinatan would return home safely. This unity reflected the best of who we are.”
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Or’s partner, Noa Argamani, was a strong advocate for the hostages after his release and addressed the UN Security Council. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Thousands of Nvidia employees served with extraordinary courage to defend their communities during war,” Huang continued. “Many have faced immense pain, loss and uncertainty. Some have lost family members or loved ones.”
The Nvidia co-founder’s letter referenced several personal losses that hit the Nvidia team in Israel, including the death of employee Amit Chayut as well as the murder of Danielle Waldman and her partner.
Waldman is the daughter of Founder of Mellanox Eyal Waldman, whose company was acquired by Nvidia.
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The letter from Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang expresses gratitude for Avinatan Gold’s freedom and laments the losses suffered by Nvidia’s Israeli division following the Hamas attack. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Hill & Valley forum / Getty Images)
“The losses suffered by our Jewish, Druze and Arab families have been immense. Grief knows no borders, no religions, no divisions. We mourn together and together we hope 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 be the first step towards recovery, renewal and lasting peace – for all who have been affected by this war.”
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An Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment on the letter.
