Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Saturday expressed that he was “incredibly relieved” following the release of Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, an employee who had been held hostage by Hamas for nearly 500 days.
Troufanov, an electrical engineer with Amazon Web Services (AWS), was abducted during the deadly October 7 attacks in Israel. His mother, grandmother, and girlfriend were freed in November 2023, but Sasha remained in captivity while his father was killed in the attacks.
“I’m incredibly relieved to share the news that our AWS teammate, Sasha Troufanov, who had been held hostage since the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, has been released from captivity,” Jassy wrote in a message to Amazon employees.
In his message, Jassy detailed the company’s efforts to assist Troufanov’s family, sharing that a team of Amazon experts had worked “behind the scenes” to help secure his release. However, Jassy explained that Amazon had refrained from commenting publicly on the situation “for fear that we would negatively impact their ability to be released or how they were treated in captivity.”
Amazon faced criticism for its silence on Troufanov’s abduction earlier in May 2024 after it was revealed that he worked for the company. Many speculated that Amazon’s low profile was a strategic move to protect its brand. However, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a vocal supporter of Israel, defended Amazon’s decision to keep quiet.
“It’s been an extremely trying time for everybody who knows and cares for Sasha — a lot of angst and feelings of helplessness. 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,” Jassy wrote in his message.
He also said that his “heart goes out to everyone impacted by the war” and expressed hope that there would be a “long-term peaceful path.”
Troufanov’s release came on Saturday, alongside two other hostages, Iair Horn and Sagui Dekel-Chen, an American citizen. However, just days before their release, Hamas had threatened to delay it over alleged ceasefire violations by Israel.
US President Donald Trump had weighed in on the situation, demanding that Israel should “let all hell break out” if Hamas did not release all remaining hostages by a specified deadline.
Hamas ultimately reversed its threat on Thursday, confirming that the release would proceed as planned.
The release took place amid a fragile ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on January 19, 2025. Under this deal, 33 hostages were to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, bringing an end to over 15 months of war.
