New Delhi: Amidst the increasing tension in the Middle East, a rumor spread on social media which created a stir across the world. Many posts started claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been murdered. However, within some time the Prime Minister’s Office itself had to clarify this news and these claims were declared completely false.
On Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued an official statement saying that the news spreading on social media is completely fake. The statement clearly said that the Prime Minister is safe and no incident has happened to him. This clarification came at a time when various types of discussions had started on social media based on some claims related to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. In these claims it was being said that Netanyahu had been murdered in the atmosphere of increasing war.
New speculations started from the video
In fact, this rumor gained further momentum when Netanyahu shared a video on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday. In this video, he was seen talking to the media regarding the increasing tension between Israel, America and Iran.
After the video was posted, some social media users claimed that six fingers were visible on Netanyahu’s hand during the speech. About 35 seconds into the video, an extra chunk of flesh is visible near his little finger. Some people described it as the “sixth finger” and said that it could be a sign of an artificially created video.
Discussion of having AI video
Many users called it “AI finger glitch”. Such disturbances related to hands and fingers are usually seen in pictures or videos created by artificial intelligence. For this reason, some people claimed that this video may not be real but may have been created by AI.
American conservative commentator Candace Owens also raised questions on this issue. Posting on social media, he asked where Netanyahu is and why his office is releasing the alleged AI video. After his question, rumors started spreading more rapidly.
Questions were also raised on the background of the video
Some users also expressed doubts about the background of the video. He said that in the video, the curtains behind were seen moving in the same pattern, as if the scene was being repeated again and again. Apart from this, two Israeli flags were seen almost stationary, due to which some people said that the video was tampered. However, many other people also rejected these claims. He said that nowadays digital or virtual backgrounds are used in many government and TV broadcasts, due to which such visual disparities can be seen.
Tension increased after attack on Iran
The timing of the spread of these rumors is also very sensitive. Recently tension in the area has increased rapidly. On February 28, Israel and America together attacked Iran. Iran’s then supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed in this attack, after which the situation became more serious. In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and its allies. Iran alleges that these countries have given space to American military bases in their countries.
Concern increased due to closure of Strait of Hormuz
Taking another big step amid tension, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. It is considered one of the most important marine energy routes in the world. Under normal circumstances, about 20 million barrels of oil reaches different countries of the world every day through this route. Apart from this, about 20 percent of the global liquefied natural gas trade also passes through this route. In such a situation, due to the closure of this route, concerns regarding energy supply in the international market have increased.
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