Edited image shared as Netanyahu watching Hezbollah secretary-general speech

What is the claim?

An image circulating on social media claims to show the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, listening to a speech by the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. The viral image shows Netanyahu watching a television screen displaying Nasrallah. Several users shared the image on X (formerly Twitter), claiming the same. One user wrote, "Netanyahu carefully watches and listens to the speech of the general secretary of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah." Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here and here.

Screenshots of the viral posts on social media. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is false. The viral image has been digitally altered. In the original image, Netanyahu was talking on a video call with world leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. He was not listening to the secretary-general of Hezbollah.

How did we find the truth?

We conducted a reverse image search on the viral image. We found the original image, which dates back to 2020 and shows Netanyahu speaking on a video call, with the television screen displaying several video call windows. 

According to a report by The Times of Israel dated April 24, 2020, the image shows Netanyahu speaking to European leaders during a video conference at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on March 9, 2020. The television screen clearly shows several video windows in a video conference. Nasrallah's image was added to the television screen instead of the video conference to create the digitally altered image. The TV screen beside Netanyahu and the people sitting behind him are identical in both photos.

A comparison between the fake image and the original image. (Source: X/The Times of Israel/Annotated by Logically Facts)

What about the image of Nasrallah?

The image of Nasrallah likely originates from the video of a speech he delivered in November 2023, addressing the conflict between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel, which was reported by Al Jazeera on November 3, 2023. The image is likely a screenshot of Nasrallah taken during this speech. Further, we found the same image of Nasrallah with the logo on the top right corner on a Persian news website named "shahrekhabar.com." Al-Manar, a Lebanese satellite television station, also carried a similar report on November 3, 2023, along with multiple similar images and clips from Nasrallah's speech delivered on the same date.

A comparison between the fake image and the original image. (Source: X/shahrekhabar/Modified by Logically Facts)

Nasrallah recently stated that nowhere in Israel would be safe if a full-fledged war broke out and threatened Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean. In a televised address on June 19, the Hezbollah chief said, "There will be no place safe from our missiles and our drones" in Israel in the event of a broader war. The viral edited image surfaced after this speech.

The verdict

An edited image featuring Netanyahu has been shared with the false claim it shows him watching a speech by Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. The original image, captured in 2020, shows Netanyahu speaking on a video conference during the COVID-19 crisis.