Algeria’s high military command is reportedly considering the elimination of Youcef Hamdane, the representative of Hamas in Algiers, Sahel Intelligence reported.
The news outlet said that Hamdane recently drew attention for publicly commending Algeria’s “consistent and courageous” positions on the Palestinian cause, as expressed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The outlet indicated that any operation targeting Hamdane would not be carried out by conventional internal security units. Instead, it would reportedly involve an armed drone.
The choice of a drone strike is said to be deliberate, seeking to create the impression of a foreign operation, possibly by Israel, on Algerian soil.
By staging the attack, the authorities could deflect public attention, consolidate opinion around a common external enemy, and reinforce the narrative of foreign interference, it added.
Algeria is currently experiencing multiple internal pressures, including economic difficulties, social unrest, and divisions within security institutions. A high-profile strike attributed to a foreign actor could allow the military regime led by General Said Chengriha and Tebboune to unify the population under a manufactured sense of “national solidarity” while suppressing internal dissent.
If carried out as reportedly planned, the operation could carry significant potential for media manipulation and propaganda.