Israel: Amidst the Iran-Israel tension, suddenly news started spreading on social media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has died. Some viral posts and edited pictures fueled these rumours. In particular, a video was personal to have been created by AI and a “sixth finger” was visible in it.
How did Netanyahu respond to these rumors?
Netanyahu himself came forward to refute all these claims. He released a new video on Tuesday, in which he was seen with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In the video, he unmistakably said with a smile, “I am alive,” and then jokingly added, “We use only five fingers each while shaking hands.”
Crossing names off the list is good - doing it shoulder to shoulder with our American friends is plane better.
Good to see Ambassador @GovMikeHuckabee. Always a pleasure.
pic.twitter.com/FZrZN03IZI
— Benjamin Netanyahu - (@netanyahu) March 17, 2026What was seen in the video and what was the conversation?
In this video, Netanyahu and Huckabee are seen walking and talking together. Huckabee said in a light tone that US President Donald Trump had sent him to see if the prime minister was okay or not. To this Netanyahu replied, “Yes, I am veritably alive.” A funny conversation unfurled between the two for some time.
Was the video just a joke or did it moreover have a strong message?
Although part of the video was light-hearted, Netanyahu moreover gave serious hints in the middle. “Today I removed two names,” he said, linking them to recent attacks by Israel. It is believed that this statement was a reference to the attacks on senior Iranian officials, whose death was later confirmed by the Iranian side.
? >> pic.twitter.com/ijHPkM3ZHZ
— Benjamin Netanyahu - (@netanyahu) March 15, 2026Had Netanyahu given such reactions surpassing also?
This is not the first time Netanyahu has responded to rumors. In recent times, several videos of him have surfaced—sometimes in cafes, sometimes in meetings with officials—where he has been showing himself in public and proving these claims wrong. In one video, he jokingly said, “I finger like drinking coffee… would you like to count my fingers?”
What was said at the government level?
Israeli officials have moreover tabbed these rumors completely false. The Prime Minister's Office termed these as "fake news", while a senior Israeli diplomat so-called that such misinformation was stuff spread by elements linked to Iran to create an undercurrent of ravages and fear.
