Controversy Over Possible Change of Algerian Army’s ‘Doctrine’

Algerian troops conduct a search operation. (File photo: Reuters)
Algerian troops conduct a search operation. (File photo: Reuters)
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Controversy Over Possible Change of Algerian Army’s ‘Doctrine’

Algerian troops conduct a search operation. (File photo: Reuters)
Algerian troops conduct a search operation. (File photo: Reuters)

Algeria is expected to change the so-called “army doctrine” which bans it from taking part in any military operations abroad, even as part of peacekeeping efforts.

A number of observers said that this principle had remained “sacred” to civilian and military officials and a large segment of Algerians until a controversial draft amendment to the constitution was proposed to change the army’s role.

Last week, the Algerian presidency submitted the draft amendment to Article 29 of the constitution to lift the ban on the military’s involvement in missions abroad and sent it to parties, political figures, and civil society organizations for discussion.

Political analyst Ahsan al-Khalas told Asharq Al-Awsat that Algeria has an important geographical location in the Middle East and North Africa, and chairs the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), but has no important global economic role.

Khalas explained that Algeria previously worked on countering terrorism and violent extremism under former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

During his 20-year rule, Bouteflika had made profound changes in the military establishment, notably linking army intelligence to the presidency. However, in the last days of his rule, the intelligence went back to its affiliation to the army.

The analyst explained that the current, and former constitutions, did not prevent military interference, however, it was not explicitly authorized.

It seems that authorities want to constitutionally justify a new international role, according to the analyst.

Contrary to other observers, Khalas believes the issue is not related to the army’s fundamental principles, but rather establishing a new approach to Algeria’s international role.

Informed sources said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is seeking to reformulate the army according to his own perception.

They confirmed that the latest proposed amendment comes against the backdrop of other changes made in the Defense Ministry’s senior positions in the past weeks.



Amnesty Accuses Israel of 'Live-streamed Genocide' against Gaza Palestinians

TOPSHOT - Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike on the Yafa school building, a school-turned-shelter, in Gaza City on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike on the Yafa school building, a school-turned-shelter, in Gaza City on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Amnesty Accuses Israel of 'Live-streamed Genocide' against Gaza Palestinians

TOPSHOT - Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike on the Yafa school building, a school-turned-shelter, in Gaza City on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike on the Yafa school building, a school-turned-shelter, in Gaza City on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a "live-streamed genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza by forcibly displacing most of the population and deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

In its annual report, Amnesty charged that Israel had acted with "specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, thus committing genocide".

Israel has rejected accusations of "genocide" from Amnesty, other rights groups and some states in its war in Gaza.

The conflict erupted after the Palestinian group Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Hamas also abducted 251 people, 58 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel in response launched a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and a ground operation that according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory has left at least 52,243 dead.

"Since 7 October 2023, when Hamas perpetrated horrific crimes against Israeli citizens and others and captured more than 250 hostages, the world has been made audience to a live-streamed genocide," Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard said in the introduction to the report.

"States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational families, destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals and schools," she added.

'Extreme levels of suffering'

Gaza's civil defense agency said early Tuesday that four people were killed and others injured in an Israeli air strike on displaced persons' tents near the Al-Iqleem area in Southern Gaza.

The agency earlier warned fuel shortages meant it had been forced to suspend eight out of 12 emergency vehicles in Southern Gaza, including ambulances.

The lack of fuel "threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens and displaced persons in shelter centers," it said in a statement.

Amnesty's report said the Israeli campaign had left most of the Palestinians of Gaza "displaced, homeless, hungry, at risk of life-threatening diseases and unable to access medical care, power or clean water".

Amnesty said that throughout 2024 it had "documented multiple war crimes by Israel, including direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks".

It said Israel's actions forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, around 90 percent of Gaza's population, and "deliberately engineered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe".

Even as protesters hit the streets in Western capitals, "the world's governments individually and multilaterally failed repeatedly to take meaningful action to end the atrocities and were slow even in calling for a ceasefire".

Meanwhile, Amnesty also sounded alarm over Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, and repeated an accusation that Israel was employing a system of "apartheid".

"Israel's system of apartheid became increasingly violent in the occupied West Bank, marked by a sharp increase in unlawful killings and state-backed attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians," it said.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty director for the Middle East and North Africa region, denounced "the extreme levels of suffering that Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to endure on a daily basis over the past year" as well as "the world's complete inability or lack of political will to put a stop to it".