The current campaign is a manifestation of the long-standing historical rivalry between Algeria and Morocco. It is part of a series of online campaigns where users engage in name-calling, insults, and the targeting of prominent figures from both countries.

An online battle erupted between Algerian and Moroccan accounts in response to misleading information about the identity of an Israeli soldier killed by Al Qassam Brigades during an ambush in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

The war in Gaza was reflected in political tensions between Morocco and Algeria, leading to hostile virtual campaigns and trolling by accounts from both countries. The conflict began with Moroccan accounts spreading a misleading image claiming that the killed Israeli soldier was of Algerian descent. This prompted Algerian accounts to coordinate a campaign attacking Morocco and accusing it of collaborating with Israel. This incident is a continuation of ongoing verbal sparring between these accounts.

What's the Context?

In early June, Al Qassam Brigades released details of what they described as an ambush set by their fighters against an Israeli force inside a tunnel in the Jabalia refugee camp, north of the Gaza Strip, on May 25. They claimed that the ambush resulted in Israeli soldiers being captured, killed, or injured.

The accompanying video featured an image purportedly showing the body of one of the targeted Israeli soldiers, with a caption saying, "You know his identity well." As Hamas supporters celebrated the details of the ambush, the soldier's photo circulated on social media in various contexts. One narrative claimed that the killed Israeli soldier, who did not have Western features, was of Algerian descent, while other accounts suggested he was of Moroccan descent.

Amid this, Algerian accounts amplified the hashtag #Morocco_Agent_of_Israel, which garnered 1,671 posts and 4,450 interactions since it reappeared on May 29, according to statistics from Meltwater, a leading social media content analysis tool.

Period of activity for hashtag #Morocco_Agent_of_Israel - Meltwater

Despite the resumption of diplomatic relations between the countries under a December 2020 agreement mediated by the United States, Algeria decided to sever ties with Morocco in August 2021, citing "hostile acts" from the Moroccan kingdom. This decision sparked subsequent waves of cyberattacks from both sides.

Most influential

Among the most prominent participants in the hashtag #Morocco_Agent_of_Israel were accounts displaying the Algerian flag, including individuals associated with Algerian media outlets. These accounts significantly boosted the visibility of the hashtag due to their large followings.

A total of 1306 accounts participated in the hashtag, with many achieving high impact in the hashtag's activity: @AmineMellit @mhimedbentayeb @nasim_hbb @halim12345684 @Nadji786 @fared212 @505sadda @ReineDeSabaa8 @XiaMo62877551 @HUJzjRGdYsbwYG6 @DrZakaria31 @NsOuDjMst_27dz @Rou7_Sabe7a @brune_samia @Shi97218920 @mariasonar6 @1Tlemceni @shakmanalgeria

The hashtag first appeared on April 4th, in a tweet by Algerian journalist Amine Mellit (@AmineMellit), commenting on the Algerian representative's speech at the UN Security Council regarding the situation in Gaza. Mellit used his tweet to criticize Morocco, accusing it of collusion with Israel.

Mellit operates within Algerian media, including newspapers like El Bilad and Echorouk, as well as the platform "Numidia". He actively engages in the campaign accusing Morocco of collaborating with Israel, sometimes sharing unverified information, such as claims that Morocco sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Israel in Gaza.

Exaggeration and Misinformation: What Do the Posts Say?

The hashtag #Morocco_Agent_of_Israel reappeared after Moroccan accounts shared an image of the Israeli soldier killed in the Jabalia ambush, falsely claiming he was of Algerian descent. Among these accounts was social media influencer Badr Miftahi, creator of the program “Podcast Bila Zowaq” (Podcast with no makeup). His post garnered hundreds of interactions and reached over 537,000 views, according to "X" platform statistics. Miftahi uses an image of Moroccan Crown Prince Hassan bin Mohammed VI as his profile picture.

It was lateral revealed that the circulating photo of the ID of the Israeli soldier was fabricated. An Algerian ID card had been altered using photo editing software to make the features of the cardholder resemble those of the Israeli soldier. This was confirmed by several fact-checking websites and pages, such as Eekad.

Algerian accounts used the same trick, posting a manipulated image and claiming that the Israeli soldier was a Moroccan citizen. The "Misbar" initiative also debunked this claim.

Several indicators support the likelihood of a coordinated campaign to amplify the hashtags and increase their circulation. Among these indicators is that more than 1,490 of total tweets were posted from accounts with unknown locations. Additionally, the high rate of retweets/reposts and replies, which together accounted for more than 90% of the total interactions, contrasted sharply with the original posts, which made up only 4.4% (96 tweets) according to Meltwater statistics.

The Nature of Interactions on the Hashtag #Morocco_Agent_of_Israel – Meltwater

Accounts with unknown geographical locations were recently created between 2022 and 2024. These accounts do not have a large following and identify themselves as "social influencers." They display Algerian flags and are heavily involved in promotional campaigns for the Algerian government and in attacking Morocco.

In addition to mobilizing towards promoting the notion that Morocco supports Israel in its war on Gaza, several accounts used the campaign hashtag to spread propaganda for General Saïd Chengriha, Chief of Staff of the Algerian Army. They also shared an alleged old map from the Ottoman era, showing Algerian control extending over vast areas of Morocco up to the Atlantic Ocean. This map was posted with the hashtag #Retrieving_Land.

Previous Campaigns

The current campaign is a manifestation of the historical rivalry between Algeria and Morocco, one of many ongoing online campaigns where insults are exchanged, and prominent figures in both countries are targeted. Accounts participating in the anti-Morocco campaign have previously promoted Algerian hashtags that criticize Morocco and spread positive propaganda about Algeria, while also seizing any opportunity to attack Morocco.

These Moroccan and Algerian accounts typically become active on the following hashtags: #Morocco_Laughing_Stock_Of_The_World #Algeria_Laughing_Stock_Of_The_World #Morocco_Kingdom_Of_Shame #Morocco_Kingdom_Of_Riches #Algeria_Majestic_Fortress #Colonialist_Elites.