AI-Generated Image Viral as Netanyahu Killed Amid Conflict With Iran

AI-detection tools Sightengine and AI or Not revealed that the viral image was created using AI.

Fact-Check: This image is created using AI and is not real.

(Source: The Quint)

A image showing a few people struggling to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seems visibly injured, is being shared on social media.

• Those sharing the image have claimed that Netanyahu was killed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as this image is created using artificial intelligence (AI).

What we found: At first, we ran a Google reverse image search on the viral image, however, we did not find any official sources to prove the validity of the claim.

• We, then, looked up reports to check whether there was any confirmation about Netanyahu's death. However, we did not find any Israeli media reports corroborating the claim.

• Additionally, we found that Iran's Tasnim News Agency published an article which claimed that there were speculations about Netanyahu's "possible death and injury," on 10 March.

Here is a preview of the report. 

(Source: Tasnim News Agency) 

Irregularities with the image: Team WebQoof closely examined the image and noted that it carried anomalies which are often present in AI-generated content.

• The injury on Netanyahu's face looked unnatural and 'too-clean,' pointing that the image maybe be manipulated.

• Additionally, the dust around Netanyahu appeared to fade smoothly around the face, rather than the chaotic pattern typical of real debris dust.

Here is a close-up of the image. 

(Source: X/Altered by The Quint) 

• This led us to run the image on AI-detection tools such as Sightengine and Was It AI which revealed that the image as AI-generated.

Here are the results by Sightengine.

Here are the results by Was It AI. 

Conclusion: While we were unable to confirm Netanyahu's death, this viral image is AI-generated and not real.

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