A photograph being shared on social media, purportedly showing Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting troops at the Lebanon front, has been found to be a manipulated image. According to fact-checking by Balobaki Check, the original image was taken on November 19, 2024, during Netanyahu's visit to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.
The visit by Netanyahu was an official one, but it should not be confused with any visit by Tshisekedi to Israeli troops at the Lebanon front. Official sources regarding Tshisekedi's trip to Israel indicate that he met with officials in Jerusalem and also visited the Yad Vashem memorial. Tshisekedi did visit Jerusalem, Israel on September 1, 2025, as part of strengthening cooperation between Israel and the DRC.
During Tshisekedi's visit to Israel, he held meetings with Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. The discussions with Israeli authorities covered various topics including security, defense, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, technology, and investment. A post by an individual named Trésor Kazadi sharing the manipulated image garnered significant attention, with 1600 likes, 208 comments, and 34 shares on social media.
To verify the authenticity of the post, a Google search was conducted using relevant keywords, but no credible media outlet corroborated the claim of Tshisekedi and Netanyahu visiting troops at the Lebanon front. However, several media outlets reported on the meeting between Tshisekedi and Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
An analysis of the image using Google Lens and a detector tool revealed that the image was manipulated to include Tshisekedi. The original image source was traced back to media outlets such as La Libre and 20minutes.fr, which published articles on November 22, 2024, and other dates.
The manipulated image was found to be 84% generated by humans, according to the detector tool. A comparison with the image shared on Facebook showed that the original image was altered to include Tshisekedi. There is no credible evidence to support the claim that Tshisekedi visited Israeli troops at the Lebanon front with Netanyahu.
Following Tshisekedi's visit, the DRC and Israel issued a joint communiqué stating that they would take measures towards the transfer of the DRC embassy. The two countries have been strengthening their bilateral relations, with a focus on cooperation in various sectors.
Key points
- The photo of Felix Tshisekedi and Benjamin Netanyahu at the Lebanon front is a manipulated image.
- Tshisekedi visited Jerusalem, Israel on September 1, 2025, to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
- The DRC and Israel have been enhancing their bilateral relations, focusing on cooperation in various sectors.
