In Turkish, Indian and other Asian media and social networks in recent days, rumors have spread that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "disappeared from public space" amid the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran. However, there is no official information to confirm such claims so far. The information was also reported by The Jerusalem Post, which also does not provide refuting information.
Some publications, including in Iranian media, claim that Netanyahu has not appeared in public for several days after the latest military actions. This has given rise to speculation about a possible injury, hiding in a protected shelter or leaving the country. Some comments on social media even suggested that the prime minister may have died in the attack.
Attention was drawn to a publication by The Jerusalem Post, which reported that US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had canceled their planned visit to Israel, scheduled for Tuesday.
According to the publication, the visit was supposed to take place against the backdrop of military actions against Iran, but was canceled without an official explanation.
Sources cited by the media indicate that the decision comes at a time when there are first signs of a divergence between Washington and Tel Aviv regarding the scale of the Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities.
At the moment, there is no confirmation from the Israeli authorities that the prime minister has been injured or has left the country. There have been no official statements from the Israeli government or military indicating an emergency situation surrounding his whereabouts.
Analysts note that during military operations, political leaders often limit their public appearances for security reasons and work from protected command centers. This can lead to a temporary lack of public appearances, without this indicating emergency circumstances.
The spread of such claims is also seen as part of the information war surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, in which various media outlets and channels publish unconfirmed information in order to influence public opinion.
So far, there is no independent evidence to confirm the claims of Benjamin Netanyahu's disappearance or death, and clarity on the issue is expected in further official statements from the Israeli government.