Algerian Army Considers 'New Roadmap' for Armed Forces

Algerian Army Chief of Staff Said Chengriha (AFP)
Algerian Army Chief of Staff Said Chengriha (AFP)
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Algerian Army Considers 'New Roadmap' for Armed Forces

Algerian Army Chief of Staff Said Chengriha (AFP)
Algerian Army Chief of Staff Said Chengriha (AFP)

The Algerian military high command announced it wants to establish a strong, modern, and advanced army that meets the reputation of the "new Algeria."

The Army Chief of Staff, Said Chengriha, met in Algiers with senior army officials to discuss a "clear roadmap", according to the statement of the Defense Ministry.

Chengriha asserted that since he assumed his position, he has been keen to set a roadmap for the army, which he tried to consolidate with leaders and commanders during field visits to military units as well as his meetings with a number of officials.

He indicated he has a comprehensive vision of the tasks and roles that everyone must adhere to until establishing a strong army that can meet all challenges.

He asserted that the war on terrorism and the positive adaptation to the scientific and technological developments enabled the army to meet the challenges facing it.

Chengriha, 79, did not provide the details of the suggested roadmap, but his increased presence at the political scene over the past few months was noticeable.

He made various field visits to military facilities and gave several media statements, especially when President Abdelmadjid Tebboune traveled to Germany for treatment after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Chengriha’s media presence was seen as an indication of the army’s support to the president after several opposition forces doubted his physical ability to remain in power.

The army is still at the heart of the power struggle and the opposition forces criticize its “control over civilian power.”

Tebboune flew back to Germany on Sunday for treatment of complications in his foot resulting from a coronavirus infection, the presidency said.



UN Chief ‘Deeply Alarmed’ by Israeli Strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza 

A Palestinian boy inspects the damage after two Israeli missiles hit a building inside the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, shortly after patients were evacuated following a call from someone who identified himself with Israeli security, in Gaza City, April 13, 2025. (Reuters)
A Palestinian boy inspects the damage after two Israeli missiles hit a building inside the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, shortly after patients were evacuated following a call from someone who identified himself with Israeli security, in Gaza City, April 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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UN Chief ‘Deeply Alarmed’ by Israeli Strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza 

A Palestinian boy inspects the damage after two Israeli missiles hit a building inside the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, shortly after patients were evacuated following a call from someone who identified himself with Israeli security, in Gaza City, April 13, 2025. (Reuters)
A Palestinian boy inspects the damage after two Israeli missiles hit a building inside the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, shortly after patients were evacuated following a call from someone who identified himself with Israeli security, in Gaza City, April 13, 2025. (Reuters)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply alarmed" at Sunday's strike by Israeli forces on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"Under international humanitarian law, wounded and sick, medical personnel and medical facilities, including hospitals, must be respected and protected," the UN chief's spokesperson said.

He said the attack dealt "a severe blow to an already devastated healthcare system in the Strip", adding there was strong concern that medical supplies are running low as well as food and water.

Two Israeli missiles hit the major Gaza hospital on Sunday, putting the emergency department out of action and damaging other structures, medics said, in a strike that Israel said was aimed at Hamas fighters exploiting the facility.

Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital evacuated patients after a phone call from someone who identified himself as Israeli security shortly before the attack.

No new humanitarian supplies have entered the Palestinian enclave since Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks on March 2, as talks stalled on the next stage of a now broken truce. Israel resumed its military assault on March 18.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 25,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the 42 days of the ceasefire and that Hamas had used the aid to rebuild its war machine, an allegation which the group has denied.