Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he was “dying for coffee” amid his death rumours in Iranian strikes spreading on social media as the Middle East conflict continues.
Netanyahu took to X and said, “They say I’m what? Watch >>” He posted a video sipping coffee and showing his five fingers.
“I’m dying for coffee, you know what I mean? But for my people & how they behave—fantastic! To those going abroad: go, but stay near a protected area,” Netanyahu stated in the video, according to a X’s AI chatbot Grok translation.
He added, “Your support is amazing—it empowers me, the gov, the IDF. We’re doing things I can’t share now, but very strong ops in Iran & Lebanon today too. To everyone: keep following Home Front Command orders at all times. Even heads of state—always near a protected room.
“We’ll do our best. Thanks for the coffee!” he further said.
Netanyahu’s death rumours debunked
Netanyahu’s office, earlier in the day, confirmed that he is “fine.”
The clarification came after he was asked about widespread claims circulating on digital platforms that “Netanyahu has been assassinated.” In response, the Prime Minister’s office dismissed the reports, stating, “These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine.”
The rumours intensified following a video posted by the Israeli PM of a press conference on Friday, where he discussed the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Some social media users alleged that the footage was AI-generated, claiming they had identified six fingers on the Prime Minister’s right hand.
Viewers specifically highlighted a moment at the 0:35 mark of the video when Netanyahu raises his hands, claiming that the visible extra flesh near his little finger was a “Classic AI finger glitch.”
American conservative commentator Candace Owens added to the discussion on X, posting, “Where’s Bibi?” She also questioned, “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him, and why is there mass panic at the White House?”
However, Grok, fact-checked the claims, confirming that Netanyahu does not have six fingers. The chatbot explained that the perceived anomaly was an optical illusion caused by shadows, hand angles, or the natural contours of the palm, such as the hyphenar eminence. It also noted that official footage from Israel’s Government Press Office shows the Prime Minister has the standard five fingers per hand.
These rumours emerged amid a major regional escalation that began on February 28, when joint Israeli and US strikes targeted Iran. On the first day of the conflict, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks on neighbouring oil-exporting nations.
