Sat Jan 25 18:57:16 IST 2025: ## Gaza Ceasefire Overshadowed by West Bank Violence and Disinformation

**RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM** – While a fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza, escalating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is casting a shadow over the situation, according to multiple experts. The Israeli army and settlers have reportedly intensified attacks, a development largely overshadowed by ongoing prisoner exchanges and a growing controversy over conflicting narratives in Israeli media. Reports suggest that Israeli media outlets have inaccurately reported on the deaths of Hamas commanders, with recent video surfacing showing at least one commander alive, months after he was declared killed. These discrepancies, according to experts like Dalal Iriqat (Associate Professor, Arab American University Palestine) and Sarah Leah Whitson (Executive Director, DAWNA), raise serious questions about the reliability of information coming out of the conflict zone. The situation is further complicated by images circulating of significant Hamas reinforcements, challenging the dominant Israeli narrative.

**Separately**, a growing trend in India is examined, exploring the intersection of Hindu nationalism (“Hindutva”) and popular music. The rise of “Hindutva pop,” a musical genre promoting Hindu nationalist ideology, is gaining traction, fuelled by platforms including social media and music streaming services. Experts such as Kunal Purohit (author, “The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars”) and Samriddhi Sakunia (Journalist and Instagrammer) shed light on this phenomenon and the impact it is having on Indian society. Interviews with prominent artists like Kanhiya Mittal offer insights into the motivations and messages behind this musical movement.

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