Israel releases Netanyahu’s new photo amid death rumours: ‘Ordering elimination of Iranian officials’

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office released a new image of Benjamin Netanyahu amid viral death rumours, a day after he posted a video dismissing the claims.

3 min readMar 18, 2026 04:43 PM IST First published on: Mar 17, 2026 at 06:41 PM IST
netanyahu, iran warThe Prime Minister of Israel’s official X handle posted the new image of Netanyahu. (Photo: X/ @IsraeliPM)

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday shared a photo of Benjamin Netanyahu which they said was taken while he was ordering the elimination of Iranian officials, as false rumours claiming Netanyahu has died continued to buzz on social media.

The picture comes a day after Netanyahu posted a video on social media where he was seen interacting with civilians in Israel and in another video he was seen in a cafe drinking coffee and mocking the death rumours report.

The Prime Minister of Israel’s official X handle posted the new image of Netanyahu shortly after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the killing of Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

In X post, the Prime Minister of Israel posted the image and wrote, “Photo: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering the elimination of senior Iranian regime officials.”

The speculations claiming Netanyahu’s death were aired by Iranian state media and spread online in Iran. The video earlier posted by Netanyahu showed him at a cafe in Jerusalem’s outskirts as his aide asked him about the viral rumours.

The Israeli prime minister mocked the rumours of his death and said, “I’m crazy about coffee. You know ​what? I’m crazy about my people.”

The rumours of Netanyahu’s death appears to have originated from a recent press conference where a screenshot of Israeli prime minister purportedly showed “sixth finger” and netizens claimed it was a deep fake generated by artificial intelligence.

Story continues below this ad

The “sixth finger” claim quickly spread online and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, reportedly announced threatened to “pursue and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “with full force.”

Netanyahu refuted all the claims in the video he posted in a cafe and showed five fingers each in his hands purposely in order to challenge the claims being made. But netizens again pointed out that the coffee which he was holding wasn’t spilling and other flaws in the video, raising artificial intelligence flak.

The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence. Core Team The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy: Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ... Read More

Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments