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Middle East conflict

Hamas channel in Telegram need not be closed, Durov says

According to the Telegram founder, earlier this week, Hamas used the messenger to warn civilians in Ashkelon to leave the area ahead of their missile strikes

MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Shutting down the channel of the Palestine’s Hamas movement in the messenger can exacerbate the situation with receiving information about developments in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on this Telegram blog.

"Earlier this week, Hamas used Telegram to warn civilians in Ashkelon to leave the area ahead of their missile strikes. Would shutting down their channel help save lives — or would it endanger more lives?" he asked.

Telegram channels are receiving only the content they are subscribed to, the founder of the messenger said. "It's unlikely that Telegram channels can be used to significantly amplify propaganda. Instead, they serve as a unique source of first-hand information for researchers, journalists, and fact-checkers," he noted.

"While it would be easy for us to destroy this source of information, doing so risks exacerbating an already dire situation," Durov concluded.

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Internet & Telecom Telegram

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