Netanyahu had to prove he was alive 3 times. Why proof of life is ‘Word of the Week’

In the midst of the war unfolding in West Asia, one has been bombarded with countless images and videos of the fighting. However, we live in the age of misinformation that is fuelled by the use of artificial intelligence, making it very hard to decipher if the visuals we are seeing are indeed true or not.

Moreover, speculations and conspiracy theories have taken over social media when it comes to the war. One such false rumour that emerged was: Has Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu died?

There’s been a flood of such posts online, suggesting that the Israeli leader is dead in an alleged Iranian missile strike. Images purporting to show Netanyahu bloodied and buried in rubble circulated online with unsupported claims that he had been killed or gravely wounded.

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In turn, Netanyahu’s office tried to counter those claims by releasing several proof of life videos. However, instead of dismissing the rumours, they triggered fresh doubts with users alleging that the footage released was generated by using AI.

This back-and-forth is why we have chosen ‘proof of life’ as our ‘Word of the Week’.

What is proof of life?

Proof of Life, or POL as it is sometimes shortened to is the process through which an individual is confirmed to be alive. This concept usually emerges in specific circumstances, especially in the time of war or conflict. It also is used in hostage circumstances.

In such cases, proof of life refers to evidence such as a recent video, photograph, audio recording, or written message to confirm that the individual is still alive.

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Why has proof of life become a buzzword amid Iran war?

Since the war began, the US and Israel have been raining down on Iran, taking out the country’s leadership. As of today, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib among others have been eliminated.

In turn, Tehran has been striking down at Israel and across the Gulf countries.

Amid these strikes, there’s also been a flood of posts on social media with users suggesting that Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has been killed. These posts were amplified when an Iranian state-linked channel speculated that he had been injured or killed in a targeted assassination, while another widely shared image showed Netanyahu being pulled out of a blast by soldiers with his face badly cut.

On March 10, the Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official Iranian news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published a series of articles querying whether Netanyahu was still alive. Its March 10 article was entitled: “Speculation Swirls About Netanyahu’s Possible Death, Injury.”

To counter this misinformation, Netanyahu put out multiple videos as proof of life. The first showed the Israeli leader in a coffee shop, having a cuppa and speaking to the barista. However, this proof of life resulted in ‘coffeegate’ — with some social media watchers analysing the smallest details of the video to prove he is not real, spotting “glitches”.

אומרים שאני מה? צפו >> pic.twitter.com/ijHPkM3ZHZ

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 15, 2026

Grok, the AI chatbot created by Elon Musk’s company xAI, then mistakenly supported those assertions on X, writing that Netanyahu’s video was generated by AI in a post seen more than 100,000 times.

In another proof of life video, Netanyahu is seen casually walking outdoors and interacting with civilians in Jerusalem. Speaking to some locals, Netanyahu is seen in video saying, “How beautiful. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good. Let’s soak up some sun.”

At one point, he notices a dog and asks about it, saying, “Whose dog is this? What breed?” The woman replies, “Canaanite-Israeli.”

שומרים על ההנחיות ומנצחים ביחד >> pic.twitter.com/HC5w3PqKuV

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 16, 2026

However, that video also came under a cloud of suspicion when users pointed out “why does Netanyahu’s ring disappear as he moves his arm… Is this AI”.

One of the social media users highlighted Netanyahu’s ring in a separate video, saying, “I’m now starting to believe this dude is not with us. The ring disappears then reappears.”

“Ok, brother, I’m just telling you, this video is AI. At the 0:28 second mark, the ring on his hand ceases to exist. He’s probably in a bunker, but it’s still pretty weird to me,” another chimed in.

To counter these claims, Netanyahu then posted a third proof of life video, this time with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. In the video shared on Tuesday (March 17), Netanyahu was seen having a conversation with the US envoy reiterating, “I am alive” and “shaking hands with five fingers”.

Crossing names off the list is good - doing it shoulder to shoulder with our American friends is even better.

Good to see Ambassador @GovMikeHuckabee. Always a pleasure.

🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/FZrZN03IZI

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 17, 2026

This entire episode shines the spotlight on the dangers of misinformation and liar’s dividend — wherein real videos are dismissed as AI-generated lies.