Benjamin Netanyahu is alive and actively serving as Israeli Prime Minister. Despite viral rumors spreading online, all death claims have been thoroughly debunked by fact-checkers and verified by Netanyahu's recent public appearances.
Iranian state-affiliated media outlets promoted false speculation that Netanyahu may have been killed or wounded, pointing to gaps in public videos and heightened security measures. Rumors claiming Netanyahu was killed in Iranian airstrikes spread across social media, but there is no confirmation Netanyahu left Israel or flew anywhere during the war—his office stated he met the Minister of Defence, Chief of Staff, and Director of the Mossad in Tel Aviv on March 1.
The misinformation appears to be part of broader information warfare during the Israel-Iran conflict. Tasnim News Agency, linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, assembled circumstantial points to suggest Netanyahu might be dead—but presented no actual evidence.
A viral clip from Netanyahu's March 12 press conference sparked claims he had six fingers, with some suggesting the video was AI-generated. During the address he spoke about the ongoing conflict and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear scientists. What actually happened? The screenshot captured a moment when there was a shadow on the side of his hand. The full video shows him with five fingers. Compression artefacts can briefly make fingers appear doubled or merged in still frames when motion blur is present—this is ordinary video distortion, not AI.
The verdict: Netanyahu is healthy, active, and continuing his official duties. Fact-checkers rate death and AI claims as false. The rumors remind us how quickly misinformation spreads during times of conflict—even when official sources and public appearances contradict them.