Amazon's JEWISH CEO finally breaks silence on hostage Sasha Trufanov's release after 16 months

In a heartfelt message to employees, Jassy expressed his relief over Trufanov’s return and acknowledged the company’s role in supporting his release.

Trufanov, 29, had been working as an electrical engineer at Amazon Web Services when he was taken captive by Hamas during the brutal attacks in southern Israel. He had been visiting his family at Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas terrorists stormed the area, killing his father and abducting him, his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend. While his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend were released in a ceasefire deal in November 2023, Trufanov remained in captivity for nearly 500 days.

When Amazon first learned of Trufanov’s abduction, the company chose not to publicly comment, citing concerns that doing so might jeopardize his safety and the efforts to secure his release. In his letter, Jassy shared that the company had been working behind the scenes with experts to assist in Trufanov’s release, emphasizing that this effort was done with his safety as the top priority.

In addition to the emotional relief over Trufanov’s release, Jassy expressed sorrow over the loss of his father, who was killed in the October 7 attack. “It’s been an extremely trying time for everybody who knows and cares for Sasha — a lot of angst and feelings of helplessness,” wrote Amazon’s 57-year-old Jewish CEO. “But, it can’t approach what Sasha and his family have been through, and we will continue to support them and do everything we can to help them heal.” Trufanov’s return has been a long-awaited moment for both his family and his colleagues, who have been deeply affected by his ordeal. Jassy pledged that Amazon would continue to support Troufanov and his family as they navigate the long road to recovery and healing.

The attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages, mostly civilians. While many hostages have been freed or recovered, dozens remain in Gaza, with the situation continuing to unfold.