Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated July 15 that he personally asked Algeria to accommodate some Hamas leaders. He said leaders of the movement are welcomed upon arrival to Algeria and their visas require only a couple of hours to process, unlike other Arab countries that sometimes take more than two months to be issued. He did not identify the Hamas leaders receiving special treatment in Algeria, nor did he name the Arab countries that take much longer to process visas.

Abu Zuhri himself has been in Algeria since the beginning of this year, meeting with Algerian political leaders. His most recent meeting was July 26, when he met with the Algerian Association of Muslim Scholars and the Algerian Workers Party to discuss means of supporting the Palestinian people.

Hamas’ foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan told Al-Monitor, “We have visited Algeria several times in an official capacity, and we met with its officials. Hamas enjoys official and public Algerian support, and Algeria has contributed to the success of the convoys to lift the siege on Gaza." Hamdan noted that the party also appreciates the lack of ties between Algeria and Israel, adding "Hamas has good relations with all Algerian political parties, especially the ruling National Liberation Front.”

Foreign aid convoys have been sailing for Gaza since 2009, carrying relief for the Palestinians in the form of food and medication. Still, the convoys haven’t manage to break the siege and deliver their aid directly to Gaza.