Nvidia CEO Welcomes Hostage Avinatan Or Home After 738 Days in Gaza

Avinatan Or, a 32-year-old electrical engineer at Nvidia in Israel, is finally home and his employer never stopped waiting.

After 738 days in Hamas captivity, Or was released Monday as part of the U.S.-brokered hostage deal that ended the two-year war in Gaza. On Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang welcomed him back with a moving message to all 40,000 global employees.

“Avinatan welcome home. Your safe return brings profound relief and joy to the entire Nvidia. We are here for you and your family as you begin this next chapter of healing,” Huang wrote in a letter shared with staff and seen by Reuters.

Or was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival, along with his girlfriend Noa Argamani, whose terrified cries on the back of a Hamas motorcycle became one of the war’s most haunting images. Argamani was rescued by Israeli soldiers earlier this year. Or’s return, through diplomacy rather than force, marks a powerful milestone.

Huang noted that every Sunday for two years, the head of Nvidia Israel’s HR, Gideon Rosenberg, sent an internal email marking the number of days Or had been in captivity and inviting employees to a weekly vigil at the Kirya Gate in Tel Aviv. These gatherings were attended by staff and even Or’s mother, Ditza as a quiet act of solidarity.

"Night after night, they stood together," Huang said. “Many Nvidia employees in Israel served in the military. Some have faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty. The losses to our Jewish, Druze, and Arab families alike have been immense.”

Or’s colleague Eddie Goldenberg, a senior AI expert at Nvidia, wrote in a heartfelt LinkedIn post, “I hope you have a good excuse for not showing up to work at Nvidia for 738 days.” He added, “Even the global CEO mentioned your name in every quarterly meeting. How wonderful that you’ve returned home.”

Or was hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv upon release, suffering from severe malnutrition and isolation. Israeli reports say he lost nearly 40% of his body weight and was held in solitary confinement for much of his captivity.

Footage showed him arriving at the hospital with his parents and Argamani, who was among the first hostages rescued. Their reunion survivors of two different paths to freedom was both tearful and triumphant.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally visited Or and four other recently freed hostages this week, reaffirming the government’s pledge to recover all remaining deceased captives from Gaza.

Nvidia, a global leader in AI chip design, entered Israel in 2020 and is expanding its operations in Yokne'am, near Haifa a region that continues to power some of the world's most advanced technologies, even during war.

Now, one of its own is home. And a company, a country, and a people breathe just a little easier.

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