Anas Hattab's Road Conditions Telegram Channel Becomes Lifeline for Palestinian Drivers in the West Bank
In 2019, Anas Hattab, a 30-year-old digital designer hailing from Tulkarm, established the Road Conditions Telegram group to gather checkpoint information for Palestinian drivers navigating the West Bank. This channel boasts nearly 350,000 members, filling the void left by navigation tools like Google Maps, which overlook the 942 checkpoints in the region. User reports are verified by over a dozen volunteer moderators prior to updates being shared. Following the events of October 7, 2023, delays at checkpoints surged by more than 50 percent, resulting in commuters losing approximately 77 hours each year. In 2025, Hattab faced a checkpoint stop where a soldier compelled him to erase photos. Nevertheless, he persists with the initiative, which complements the app A Ween Rayeh, introduced by fellow engineers in 2025.
Key facts
- Anas Hattab, 30, founded the Road Conditions Telegram group in 2019.
- The channel has nearly 350,000 followers and is used by local radio, companies, and a new app.
- There are 942 checkpoints, gates, and barriers fragmenting the West Bank.
- Checkpoint delays have increased by more than 50 percent since October 7, 2023.
- The average commuter loses about 77 hours per year taking detours to avoid checkpoints.
- In 2025, a soldier forced Hattab to delete thousands of photos from his phone at a checkpoint near Qalqilya.
- Settler attacks documented by the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission: nearly 5,443 in 2025 and about 4,766 in the first eight months of 2026.
- A Ween Rayeh, launched in 2025 by Musab Nuirat and Ahmed Gharib, relies on Hattab's data.
Entities
Artists
- Anas Hattab
- Musab Nuirat
- Ahmed Gharib
Institutions
- Road Conditions
- Telegram
- Google Maps
- Palestine Reporting Lab
- Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
- Lighthouse Reports
- Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission
- A Ween Rayeh
Locations
- Tulkarm
- West Bank
- Ramallah
- Nablus
- Jenin
- Qalqilya
- Yitzhar junction
- Route 60
- Israel