The Man Behind a West Bank Telegram Channel Trying to Keep Palestinian Drivers Safe
With no accurate Big Tech mapping app to help him, Anas Hattab launched a Telegram group to get himself home at night. Now nearly 350,000 Palestinians rely on it to navigate the occupied West Bank.
In the West Bank, a digital designer by day and delivery driver by night, Hattab has transformed the way Palestinians navigate the territory's checkpoints. His Telegram group, "Road Conditions," has become a lifeline for nearly 350,000 followers, providing real-time updates on checkpoint conditions that major navigation apps fail to account for.
As the group grew, Hattab closed the public chat and enlisted a team of moderators to verify the information. Since October 2023, checkpoint delays have surged by more than 50%, causing commuters to lose up to 77 hours annually. One incident involved Hattab being stopped by soldiers and forced to delete thousands of photos from the group, despite his attempts to avoid showing military jeeps or individual soldiers.
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