Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he was “dying for coffee” amid rumors of his death in Iranian strikes spreading on social media as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
Netanyahu headed to X and said, “They say I’m what? Look >>” He posted a video of himself sipping coffee and showing his five fingers.
“I’m dying for coffee, you know what I mean? But for my people and how they behave – fantastic! For those going abroad: go, but stay close to the protected area,” Netanyahu said in the video, as translated by the Groka X AI chatbot.
He added: “Your support is amazing – it empowers me, the government, the IDF. We are doing things that I can’t share right now, but today also very strong operations in Iran and Lebanon. To everyone: follow orders from Home Front Command at all times. Even heads of state – always near a safe room.
“We’ll do our best. Thanks for the coffee!” he further said.
Rumors of Netanyahu’s death debunked
Netanyahu’s office confirmed earlier in the day that he was “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, saying: “They are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine.
The rumors intensified after a video released by the Israeli prime minister from a press conference on Friday, where he discussed the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. Some social media users claimed that the footage was created by AI and claimed to have identified six fingers on the prime minister’s right hand.
Viewers specifically highlighted the moment at 0:35 in the video when Netanyahu raised his hands and claimed that the visible extra flesh on his little finger was a “classic AI finger glitch”.
American conservative commentator Candace Owens joined the discussion on X, writing: “Where’s Bibi?” She also asked, “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos and why is there mass panic in the White House?
However, Grok verified the claim and confirmed that Netanyahu does not have six fingers. The chatbot explained that the perceived anomaly was an optical illusion caused by shadows, the angles of the hand, or the natural contours of the palm, such as the hyoid eminence. It also noted that official footage from Israel’s government press office shows the prime minister has the standard five fingers on his hand.
The rumors came amid a major regional escalation that began on February 28, when joint Israeli and American strikes targeted Iran. Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on the first day of the conflict, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks on neighboring oil-exporting countries.
