New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): Dismissing viral claims regarding the health and status of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has confirmed the leader is 'very much alive' and clarified that recent footage of him is authentic.

The Ambassador addressed the viral social media rumours, asserting that a recent video of the Prime Minister at a cafe is genuine and was not created using artificial intelligence.

'Prime Minister Netanyahu is alive. I saw him personally when I was in Israel more than once. This video at the cafe is not AI-fabricated. There is a lot of disinformation,' he said

The intervention follows a wave of online reports alleging that a recent public address by the Israeli leader was AI-generated, with some posts further speculating that he had died. These claims gained significant traction across various platforms, leading to a heated debate over the authenticity of official government footage.

The controversy intensified after Netanyahu shared a brief clip on X, formerly Twitter, depicting him casually drinking coffee at a cafe. During the recording, the Prime Minister briefly raises his hand, seemingly displaying five fingers.

Observers have noted that this specific gesture appeared to be a direct response to viral allegations that a previous video of the leader featured an AI glitch, which social media users claimed showed six fingers.

The initial dispute began when critics pointed to perceived visual inconsistencies in Netanyahu's earlier addresses, alleging the use of deepfake technology. However, Israeli diplomatic officials have dismissed these theories as baseless.

Ambassador Azar maintained that the cafe footage provides clear evidence of the Prime Minister being alive, stating that any suggestions of AI manipulation are entirely unfounded. (ANI)