Tel Aviv [Israel], March 15 : The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that he is "fine," following a surge of social media posts suggesting his demise.
The clarification was issued after a correspondent from the Anadolu Agency questioned his office regarding widespread claims on digital platforms that "Netanyahu has been assassinated." In a direct response, Netanyahu's office dismissed the reports, stating, "These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine."
The rumours gained momentum after the Israeli PM posted a video of a press conference on Friday discussing the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Some social media users alleged that the footage was AI-generated, claiming to have identified six fingers on the Prime Minister's right hand.
Specifically, viewers pointed to a moment at the 0:35 mark where Netanyahu raises his hands, asserting that visible extra flesh near his little finger was a 'Classic AI finger glitch'.
American conservative commentator Candace Owens joined the discourse, asking, "Where's Bibi?" in a post on X. She further questioned, "Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him, and why is there mass panic at the White House?"
However, X's AI chatbot, Grok, fact-checked the allegations, clarifying that Netanyahu does not have six fingers. It explained that the visual anomalies were optical illusions caused by shadows, hand angles, or the palm's natural shape, such as the hyphenar eminence. The chatbot noted that official footage from Israel's Government Press Office confirms a standard five fingers per hand.
The backdrop to these rumours is a significant regional escalation that began on 28 February, when joint Israeli and US attacks were launched against Iran. The opening day of the conflict resulted in the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iran to retaliate with strikes against neighbouring oil-exporting nations.
In a major disruption to global trade, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway is a vital energy route, typically facilitating the shipment of approximately 20 million barrels of oil daily and nearly 20 per cent of the global trade in liquefied natural gas.
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