Benjamin Netanyahu

Is there a real set of pictures of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wearing a Palestinian flag scarf and slapping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? No, that's not true: The pictures are screenshots from an AI-generated video. Additionally, as of April there are no reports of Meloni slapping Netanyahu. The claim appeared in a post made on X by the…

Does a real video show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ignoring and walking away from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the incident portrayed in the clip ever took place. An AI detection tool also found that "the video is likely AI-generated" after assessing the content. The claim…

Do real photos show an Israel Defense Forces soldier repairing and revering the same crucifixion statue he vandalized? No, that's not true: Two images -- one showing a soldier washing the statue and another showing a soldier kneeling at the base of the cross -- are AI-generated. The photos were identified by Google Gemini as having a SynthID watermark. The…

Does a video of Benjamin Netanyahu have a glitch that proves the video was AI generated? No, that's not true: In the video, he moves his hands on and off the sides of a lectern frequently during a speech, and his shirt cuffs are exposed and covered at different moments. Typical of tailored clothing, when he extends his arms, the…

Do social media posts prove that the Israeli Prime Minister's office reused a photo originally published on Feb. 4, 2026? No, that's not true: The claim appears to have been based on a known Google image search glitch, not evidence of photo reuse. The photo was not part of an article about Spain published on Feb. 4, 2026. Lead Stories…

Does the screen of the coffee shop register in a video recently shared by Benjamin Netanyahu show a date stamp from 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories examined the highest resolution version of Netanyahu's video. The date stamp visible on the register's screen reads "15/03/2026." The claim appeared in a March 15, 2026, post by the X account @merlinscapital…

Does a viral image show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in March 2026 amid rumors of his death? No, that's not true: The photo has been online since 2018. As of this writing, no credible media outlet has reported that Netanyahu was wounded or killed in the most recent round of escalation in…

Does a screenshot of a video show that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has six fingers? No, that's not true: The screenshot captured a moment when there is a shadow on the side of his hand. The full video from Israel's Government Press Office shows him speaking and gesturing with his hands, each of which has five fingers. The screenshot…

Does a viral clip show the house fire that killed Iddo Netanyahu, brother of the Israeli prime minister? No, that's not true: That footage was uploaded online weeks before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. The clip reviewed in this fact check was recorded in New Jersey, not anywhere in the Middle East. As of publication,…

Was Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out and about in Québec, Canada? No, that's not true: This video shows a real street scene in Québec, but an AI tool has been used to swap the face of the woman with Ghislaine Maxwell's. The creator who published this face swap video does not have a disclaimer regarding the AI-generated content. But, in a…