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…
Does a video show real footage of a U.K. member of Parliament asking why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been captured the same way the United States captured Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela? No, that's not true: The clip was generated using artificial intelligence. Early versions of the video included a watermark indicating a specific generative AI tool. There…
Was an AI video featuring a "Gaza 2025" caption published on Donald Trump's official social media accounts? Yes, that's true: The video showed buildings, shops and other items bearing "Trump Gaza" signs, bearded belly dancers, and figures appearing to be Elon Musk eating and being showered with banknotes, and with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
Does an authentic photograph show President Donald Trump posing with Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inside the White House? No, this image is fake: An AI generated image detection tool determined with 98.7 percent likelihood that the image was generated by AI. There is no evidence all three men were together at the White House or in…
Did the head of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's medical team say he had been diagnosed with "grade 3" prostate cancer? No, that's not true: The spokesperson for Netanyahu told Lead Stories he underwent surgery to remove his prostate after an infection "stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate." Using Google News' index, we did not find news articles…
Does an image on social media authentically show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a ventilator in a hospital? No, that's not true: The picture shows a person with a differently shaped ear. Lead Stories analysis found other inconsistencies that strongly suggested digital manipulation. The image has been on social media since at least 2023. The picture reappeared in a…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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