According to a leaked report from security services, Algeria’s top military command is reportedly considering the elimination of Youcef Hamdane, the representative of the Islamist movement Hamas in Algiers.
Hamdane had recently gained attention by publicly praising Algeria’s “consistent and courageous” stance on the Palestinian cause, as expressed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The reported plan suggests that the operation would not be carried out by a conventional internal security unit, but instead via an armed drone strike. This method appears deliberately chosen to suggest the involvement of a foreign actor, namely, Israel, on Algerian soil.
By staging such an incident, the Algerian regime may seek to deflect public attention from domestic issues and rally public opinion around a common external enemy, reinforcing a narrative of foreign interference.
Algeria is currently facing multiple tensions, including a deepening economic crisis, growing social unrest, and internal divisions within the security apparatus itself.
In this context, the high-profile elimination of a Hamas official, if attributed to Israel or another foreign power, could serve the military regime led by General Saïd Chengriha and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as a means to close ranks and suppress internal dissent, under the guise of an artificially created “national unity.”
If carried out as suggested, the operation would carry significant potential for manipulation and media propaganda.