In recent days, speculations have been rife on social media about the whereabouts of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday, March 15, Netanyahu was forced to post a video of himself getting a cup of coffee and chatting with his aide, after rumours that he was dead or injured were aired by Iranian state media and spread online in Iran.

In the ‘cheeky’ video taken at a cafe in the outskirts of Jerusalem, the PM’s aide asks Netanyahu, fondly nicknamed Bibi, if indeed the rumours that he is dead or injured are true.

“I’m crazy about coffee. You know ​what? I’m crazy about my people,” Bibi tells the aide, as he picks a cup of coffee.

However, the video has been the genesis of wild speculations, misinformation and fake news on social media.

AI or real video?

Reuters says that its team verified the location of the video from file imagery of the cafe and found that it matched the interiors in the video. Moreso, Reuters also says that the date was verified from multiple videos and photos of Bibi’s visit posted by the cafe on Sunday.

Needless to says that since February 28, 2026 when the U.S and Israel launched attacks on Iran, Netanyahu’s has visited a hospital, a port and a militay base hit by Iranian missiles. In both ccassions, Reuters says, there was little to no media access, with videos distributed by his office.

NDTV World sent a team of its reporters to visit the cafe in question (Sataf Cafe), confirming that “the facts are straightforward” on ground.

“Sadaf Cafe sits in a hilly stretch of Jerusalem, surrounded by a wild trail and open terrain. Locals continue to come and go while normal activity persists. There is no sign of any disruption, and the cafe’s signage is clearly visible – the premises remain open,” NDTV World reports.

The news outlet said that nearby residents and staff at the cafe declined to speak to them at length about Netanyahu’s alleged visit, but they confirmed that the PM came to the area and stopped at the joint for coffee.

NDTV World, in the end, flagged as false the claims that Netanyahu had been killed.

A cheeky photo too

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, March 17 shared a photo of Netanyahu with quite a bold statement to the world.

 The photo was posted shortly after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and the commander of the internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani.

There has been no confirmation or denial by Iran so far of the reports of the killing of Larijani and Soleimani.