Is Benjamin Netanyahu Dead? Death rumours of Israeli PM in airstrikes flood social media; Jerusalem says…
Iran's Fars news agency claimed Khaibar missiles hit Netanyahu's office. Rumours of his death circulated on social media after he vanished from public view.
Death rumours of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have flooded social media. Many users are sharing videos of airstrikes and either claiming or speculating that an Iranian airstrike killed him.
Similar false claims have spread about his brother, Iddo Netanyahu, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, alleging that they too died in airstrikes.
“Sources indicate that Netanyahu died in an Iranian airstrike. Is this true news?” wondered a social media user who shared a video of devastating missile strikes.
“This is what's happening inside the entity. But, there is severe Arab-Hebrew media censorship. And, for this reason, we ask you to repost, please, oh man, God expose the Arab Zionists.. The operation is ongoing tonight,” another user posted while sharing a video of airstrikes.
What Iranian press claims
The rumours of Benjamin Netanyahu's death originated from Iranian state-linked media. News publications, such as Tasnim News Agency, speculated that Netanyahu might have been killed or wounded in retaliatory strikes. It was after the Israeli PM briefly stayed out of public view.
Tasnim News Agency cited Hebrew-language sources about Netanyahu possibly being dead or injured. The agency pointed to several reasons fuelling these rumours.
Netanyahu has not appeared in any video for nearly three days. No photos have been published for almost four days. Before this gap, at least one video, sometimes up to three, was released daily. All recent statements attributed to him have been text-based only.
Adding to the suspicion, security around Netanyahu's home was reportedly tightened on 8 March to guard against possible drone attacks. A planned visit to Israel by key Trump representatives, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, was also cancelled around the same time, Tasnim claims.
Further, when French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Netanyahu, the Elysée Palace did not mention any date for the call, claims the Iranian news agency. It only released a text summary; there was no audio or video confirmation, it added.
“These speculations have yet to be officially confirmed or denied,” Tasnim News Agency wrote.
‘Fake news’
Israeli officials and multiple international news agencies have called these claims “fake news”. Netanyahu is reportedly active, making public statements about the ongoing conflict.
According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu's office has dismissed Iranian claims about his death as "fake news". Netanyahu also visited the site of a deadly missile strike in Beit Shemesh and addressed the public, putting the rumours to rest, the Israeli publication added.
It referred to Iran's Fars news agency airing a military spokesman’s claims that Iranian Khaibar missiles had successfully hit Netanyahu's office and the home of Air Force chief Tomer Bar. However, there were no reports of any missile impacts in Jerusalem, and Netanyahu's office remains fully intact, the publication added.
According to the news publication, the Iranian spokesman had earlier also claimed that three American fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait. The US, however, said Kuwait's own air defences accidentally hit the aircraft.
“The Iranian regime has been known to oversell its military achievements for propaganda purposes,” the publication added.
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