TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Content claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in a retaliatory attack by Iran circulated on Instagram [archive], Facebook (accounts: 1, 2, 3), and X on March 3, 2026.
The content included a photo of Netanyahu lying dead amid the rubble of a building. There was also a video of a television presenter claiming that Israeli media had confirmed the death of the country's longest-serving prime minister.
Is it true that Netanyahu was killed in an Iranian counterattack on March 3, 2026?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content using AI detection tools and compared the narrative with authoritative information. The results showed that the video and images were AI-generated. As of this writing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still active.
Netanyahu's Images Generated with AI
The first image, showing Netanyahu's body wrapped in a shroud among Iranian flag bearers, was identified as AI-generated. Is It AI determined that the image was 98 percent AI-generated, strongly suggesting the use of the ChatGPT 4o model.
Hive Moderation also categorized the photo as the work of the ChatGPT AI model, giving it a score of 99.9 percent.
A photo of Netanyahu being helped by rescuers was also identified as AI-generated content. The tool identified AI elements that were 99.7 percent identical to the ChatGPT model.
According to Reality Defender, there is a 77 percent probability of AI involvement in the image. This is evident through an analysis of the image's coloring, background, and texture.
No Israeli Media Confirmed Netanyahu's Death
A video of a television presenter claiming that Israeli media had confirmed Netanyahu's death was revealed to be an AI-manipulated video. Tempo identified a discrepancy between the presenter's voice and lip movements, which is a common characteristic of deepfake videos.
The Resemble detection tool identified the voice in the video as fake. Similarly, the Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector also identified AI elements 99 percent of the time.
As of March 4, 2026, no Israeli media outlets had confirmed Netanyahu's death. However, The Times of Israel confirmed that the news was a hoax.
Several posts on social media copied portions of an IDN Times fact-check article. However, the posts omitted the article's conclusion that the news of Netanyahu's death in an Iranian attack was false. On March 3, 2026, Netanyahu himself appeared on Fox's live YouTube broadcast.
CONCLUSION
Tempo's investigation concluded that the claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu died due to an Iranian counterattack is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
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