Following Israel’s assassination of a top Hezbollah commander in July 2024, a manipulated picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surfaced in posts worldwide that falsely claimed it shows him under Hezbollah surveillance. The original photo — showing Netanyahu with his father — was published by US photo distributor Getty Images in February 2009.
“(Israeli occupation forces) got stunned as Hezbollah sent a photo of Netanyahu inside his office, threatening that he cannot hide no matter how hard he tries,” read the Thai-language text overlay on the doctored image shared on Facebook on August 7, 2024.
It added the image — appearing to show Netanyahu photographed from outside a half-open window — was captured by Hezbollah.
The same image has been shared alongside similar false claims in Thai, Burmese, Arabic and English.
The posts emerged online after top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike in south Beirut on July 30, 2024 — further stoking fears the Gaza war could spill over.
Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israel in support of its ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.
The original picture, however, was published by Getty Images on February 8, 2009 (archived link).
It was credited to Netanyahu’s Likud party and captioned in part: “In this handout photo, Benjamin Netanyahu (R), head of the right-wing Likud party, confers with his father Ben Zion Netanyahu in his father’s house February 8, 2009 in Jerusalem.”
The image in the false posts had been digitally doctored to make it appear he was being spied on from outside a window.
Below is a screenshot comparison between the altered image (left) and original picture published by Getty Images photo (right) with the corresponding elements highlighted by AFP:
The picture was also published by the English-language Tablet Magazine in its obituary on Netanyahu’s father on April 30, 2012 (archived link)
AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to the Israeli leader here and here.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
