Former hostages Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani met Thursday with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the company’s headquarters in the United States, their first meeting with the tech giant’s leader since Or returned to Israel after 738 days in Hamas captivity.
The visit was organized by Amit Kreig, a senior vice president and head of Nvidia’s development center in Israel. Members of the Israeli leadership team, currently in the U.S. for meetings, also took part.
Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
(Video: Nvidia)
Or and Argamani were kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, in an abduction filmed by Hamas terrorists and widely circulated online. Argamani was rescued on June 8, 2024, during the IDF’s Operation Arnon. Or was released in October under a ceasefire deal that freed 19 other hostages.
After Or’s release, Huang sent a message to Nvidia employees worldwide, describing the moment as “deeply emotional” and praising the strength of Or’s mother, Ditsa, who became a familiar figure in public campaigns for her son’s return. “After two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity, Avinatan is home,” Huang wrote, noting that staff in Israel stood beside her nightly in prayer rallies.
“Avinatan — welcome home,” Huang added. “We are here for you and your family as you begin the next chapter of healing.”
Argamani, who reunited with Or upon his return, posted new photos of them together the following day. “Two years have passed since the last time I saw my beloved Avinatan,” she wrote, recalling the moment the two were separated by their captors. She described how their experiences diverged — she was held with other women, men and children in homes inside Gaza, while Or spent almost his entire captivity in tunnels.
“They released videos and signs of life from me, while about Avinatan there was no information at all,” she wrote. Argamani spent 246 days in captivity; Or was held for 738.
“But against all odds, we both came home and reunited,” she said, adding that the two are now beginning a long recovery process together. “The rehabilitation will take time… but we won.”