Netanyahu’s office rebuts rumours of his death, says Israeli PM is fine

Israeli PM’s office has rejected viral claims that Benjamin Netanyahu was killed, as online speculation grows over an alleged AI-generated video of his recent address.

The office of Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday dismissed viral social media claims suggesting the Israeli Prime Minister had been assassinated amid the escalating conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran.

Responding to a query from Turkey-based Anadolu Agency about the circulating reports, the Prime Minister’s Office denied the claims outright. “These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office said.

The rumours gained traction after a video shared by Netanyahu on his X account on Friday showed him addressing a press conference on the ongoing Israel-US-Iran conflict.

Soon after the video was posted, some social media users claimed they had spotted what appeared to be six fingers on Netanyahu’s right hand when he briefly raised it during the speech.

At around the 35-second mark of the video, a patch of extra flesh next to the little finger was interpreted by some users as a sixth finger – something they described as a “classic AI finger glitch,” often associated with artificially generated imagery.

The speculation spread further after US conservative commentator Candace Owens raised questions on X. “Where’s Bibi?” she wrote, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him, and why is there mass panic at the White House?”

Other users pointed to visual details in the background of the clip, including the movement of curtains while two Israeli flags appeared largely still, suggesting the footage could have been manipulated.