Can confirm. I uninstalled the app and then reinstalled from F-Droid to see if that would allow me to access the Hamas channel. Now I can’t log in lol. It says that it’s trying to send a code to my Telegram account, but I don’t know how to log in. Seems like problem might be that I didn’t log out of Telegram before uninstalling. Others have reported the problem on Reddit and Quora, but there aren’t any solutions beyond contacting Telegram support. Oh well.
Update: I reinstalled Telegram from the Google Play store and was able to log in again. After I did, I noticed a message from Telegram explaining that I could download the .APK file directly from the Telegram website to avoid restrictions. I was able install and log in that way, but I still had to get the login code from the Google Play version. Anyway, I can now access the Hamas Online channel again from the APK version.
What is posted on this channel if you don’t mind me asking?
It’s mostly official statements and announcements from Hamas including the Al-Quassam brigades. The recent hostage releases were announced here before I heard it in the news, which is mainly why I’m following. There are also some videos of Israeli abuses, and occasionally an anti-Netanyahu meme.