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| Screenshot from posted video @Netanyahu
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An “AI-generated” video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again sparked online debate over his whereabouts on Sunday.
Previously, a screenshot of a video showing him with six fingers started such rumors.
The latest video posted by X-handle @netanyahu shows him with five fingers on each hand with the caption, “What do they say I am?” Please take a look >>”
However, the internet was quick to point out that the video was likely generated by AI or a deepfake, with Netanyahu’s face superimposed onto someone else’s face.
“It raises serious questions about the validity of this blatant AI video…Magic pocket…Gravity-defying coffee in a cup…Nice try, masked customer behind the counter…NOTenyahu,” one commenter said, pointing out the anomalies in the video.
Another user asked Grok, the AI chatbot on the platform, about the video, and the AI responded, “It was generated by AI. This is a deepfake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casually talking about Iran-Lebanon operations and protected areas while drinking coffee in a coffee shop. No real events like this exist. The original post explicitly called this advanced undisclosed AI.”
Earlier, another video of the Israeli prime minister shared a screenshot of the prime minister with six fingers, prompting comments claiming the video was AI-generated.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a live statement on March 8 that Israel’s offensive against Iran would continue with “full force and uncompromising vigor.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel has a well-prepared plan with many surprises to weaken the “Iranian regime” and “enable change.”
Addressing the Iranian people, he said, “The critical moment is approaching. We are not calling for the division of Iran, but for the liberation of Iran and peaceful coexistence.”
He accused the United Nations of “blaming us for no reason in a just war against Iran’s brutal proxies in Gaza and doing nothing about the genocide in Iran.”
He also called on the Lebanese government to implement the ceasefire agreement and disarm Hezbollah, according to Xinhua news agency.
“If this is not done, Hezbollah’s invasion will have dire consequences for Lebanon,” he warned.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the US had significantly weakened Iran’s military after a week of fighting, suggesting the US had strong negotiating influence but was not actively pursuing a rapprochement with Iran.
President Trump told reporters Saturday at a press conference aboard Air Force One that the early stages of the conflict were a decisive blow to Iran’s military. The United States and Israel began a joint military operation against Iran on February 28th.
“We wiped out their navy, 44 ships. We wiped out their air force, wiped out all their planes,” President Trump said. He said the US attack also destroyed Iran’s missile capabilities and launch infrastructure.
“We destroyed about 70 percent of the rocket launchers,” he said, adding that the systems were “very difficult to obtain and very expensive.”
According to President Trump, Iran’s ability to retaliate has been significantly reduced due to reductions in launchers and manufacturing capacity. “That’s about 9 percent of what we sent in the first two days,” he said.
