On February 28, an X account named ReversingTrend posted: “Initial reports indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed by an Iranian drone strike inside his residence in Tel Aviv.”
The post quickly gained traction, recording 954,000 views, 1,100 retweets, and 7,700 likes.
Factcheck Africa tool confirmed that the claim was false. Multiple reliable sources confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu was alive and continued to serve as the Prime Minister of Israel.
See the X post below:
Further checks by Legit Nigeria showed that his profile entry on Israel’s official website listed his birthdate and current position with no mention of his death.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) page also confirmed his status, noting that an arrest warrant was issued against him on November 21, 2024.
The existence of this warrant implied that he was alive and subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
The evidence showed that Benjamin Netanyahu had not been killed in a drone strike. He remained in office as Prime Minister of Israel, and no credible reports supported the claim of his death.
The viral post was therefore misleading, spreading false information about a sitting world leader.
Verdict: False – Benjamin Netanyahu was not killed in a drone strike. He was alive and serving as Prime Minister of Israel at the time of the claim.
