Social media was abuzz on Saturday with questions about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a recent video appeared to show him with six fingers on one hand, sparking speculation and conspiracy theories about his wellbeing. The video, shared on Netanyahu’s X account on March 13, was part of his remarks on Israel and the US’ ongoing military actions in the Middle East.

Users quickly flagged the video as potentially manipulated using artificial intelligence, with captions such as “Classic AI finger glitch” and “look closely at his hand.” Some posts, mostly from unverified accounts, even questioned whether Netanyahu was alive, prompting widespread circulation across social platforms. American conservative commentator Candace Owens joined the discussion, asking “Where’s Bibi?” in reference to the Prime Minister.

X’s AI chatbot, Grok, addressed the claims, clarifying that Netanyahu has the standard five fingers on each hand. The apparent anomaly, it said, is due to an optical illusion caused by the angle of his hand and the red circle in the video. Grok further confirmed that reports suggesting his death were misinformation, citing fact-checks from Snopes, Times of Israel, and other verified sources.

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The posts also drew attention to Netanyahu’s son, Yair Netanyahu, whose X account has remained inactive since March 9. Meanwhile, reports noted unusual movements during a press conference involving Israeli Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, though there was no evidence linking it to the Prime Minister’s wellbeing.

Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, reporting from Beit Shemesh, confirmed that Netanyahu was last seen in public walking among areas affected by recent strikes, indicating his continued presence on the ground amid ongoing conflict.

The incident highlights the growing impact of AI-generated illusions and misinformation on social media, with officials and fact-checkers urging the public to rely on verified sources when assessing claims about prominent figures.

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