Israel has rejected online rumours claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been assassinated, describing the reports circulating on social media as “fake news” amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The speculation gained traction online during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, with several posts suggesting that Netanyahu had been killed. Responding to the claims, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office clarified that the reports were entirely false and that Netanyahu was safe.
“These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office said in a response to Anadolu Agency when asked about viral posts alleging that Netanyahu had been assassinated in retaliation for recent military actions.
The rumours surfaced during a period of heightened regional conflict that escalated on February 28, when Israel and the United States carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian targets.
According to reports, the attacks resulted in the deaths of more than one thousand two hundred people, including Iran’s then supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran launched waves of drone and missile strikes across the region, targeting Israel and several neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Iraq and multiple Gulf states. Tehran said the strikes were aimed at US military assets in the region.
Amid the escalating hostilities, Netanyahu also issued a warning directed at Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and successor of Ali Khamenei.
When asked whether Israel might attempt to target him in the same way it has targeted other leaders linked to Iran, Netanyahu did not rule out the possibility.
“I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organisations,” he said. “This is their patron of terrorism. And I don’t intend to provide an exact report here about what we are planning or what we are going to do.”
Netanyahu further described Mojtaba Khamenei as a ‘puppet’ of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and claimed he could not appear publicly.
The Israeli prime minister also suggested that recent developments have reshaped the strategic dynamics of the region.
“This is no longer the same Iran. This is no longer the same Middle East. And this is also not the same Israel,” Netanyahu said.
“We are not waiting, we are initiating, we are attacking. And we are doing so with a force the like of which has not been seen before.”
Netanyahu also indicated that Israel’s military actions could potentially create conditions for political change within Iran, though he noted that any such outcome would ultimately depend on the Iranian people.
“I have added another goal: to create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow this terrible tyrannical regime. To create conditions doesn’t guarantee that it will happen… It’s up to you,” he said.
“You can lead someone to water, but you can’t make them drink,” Netanyahu added, referring to the possibility of a public uprising against Iran’s ruling establishment.
