Nvidia CEO: Employee Avinatan Or’s ‘safe return brings relief and joy’ to tech giant

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sends an emotional message to all company employees, letting them know that Avinatan Or — an Israeli employee of the tech giant who was held hostage in Gaza for more than two years — has been freed.

“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,” Huang writes. “After two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity, Avinatan has come home.”

Huang pays tribute to Or’s mother, Ditza, writing that her “strength, courage, and unwavering hope have inspired us all.”

He notes that Nvidia 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.”

Huang also mentions the toll the war has taken on the company’s workforce in Israel and beyond. “Thousands of NVIDIA employees have served with extraordinary bravery in defense of their communities during the war,” he writes. “Many have faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty. Some have lost family members or loved ones.”

He cites personal losses within the company: “We lost our colleague, Amit Chayut. 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,” Huang continues. “Grief knows no borders, no faiths, no divisions. We mourn together, and we hope together — for peace, understanding, and a future without fear.”

Huang writes that he hopes the current ceasefire deal marks a turning point for the region. “As all hostages return to their families, we witness the close of a painful chapter and the beginning of long-awaited healing for the region,” he writes.

“Avinatan — welcome home,” Huang concludes. “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.”