Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday dismissed viral social media claims suggesting the Israeli Prime Minister had been assassinated amid the escalating conflict involving Israel, US 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. One user wrote that the curtain “moves in the exact same pattern throughout the entire video, almost like it’s looping,” arguing that it indicated artificial generation.

However, some users pushed back on the claim, noting that many broadcasts and official videos now use digital or virtual backgrounds, which could explain the visual inconsistencies.

The online rumours emerged against the backdrop of sharply escalating hostilities in the region. Israel and the United States launched joint strikes against Iran on February 28, an operation that killed Iran’s then-supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, leading to a full-fledged war. Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and several neighbouring countries it accuses of hosting US military assets.

In a major escalation, Iran has also shut the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime energy routes. The narrow waterway normally carries around 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and roughly 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas trade. The closure has disrupted shipping across the Gulf and raised concerns about the stability of global energy supplies as the conflict deepens.

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