Spain accuses Israel and Russia of disinformation over Ceuta crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has accused networks linked to Russia and Israel of spreading disinformation following a mass border crossing in Ceuta. Up to 70,000 migrants rushed the Spanish North African enclave between July 30 and 31, 2026, triggering a diplomatic and humanitarian crisis.

The influx of migrants into the semiautonomous Spanish territory of Ceuta overwhelmed local resources at the end of July. Although the overwhelming majority of the individuals involved were returned to Morocco, approximately 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta by late August, including 1,200 minors.

The continuing presence of migrants sleeping rough on beaches and streets has sparked local tensions. Clashes have broken out between residents and police, and four Moroccan migrants were arrested after throwing stones at Spanish soldiers. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that his administration would soon secure sufficient accommodation capacity for all those remaining in the enclave.

Speaking on the Spanish radio network Cadena SER, Sánchez asserted that digital rumors following the border breach were intentionally manufactured. He pointed to social networks linked both to Russia and to Israel, alongside the international far-right, accusing them of exploiting migration to destabilize Spain and divide Europe.

According to Sánchez, research conducted by the European External Action Service, the diplomatic service of the European Union, indicated connections to Israeli and Russian networks. He attributed the alleged disinformation campaign to retaliation for Spain’s foreign policy stances, specifically Madrid’s strong support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and Sánchez’s vocal criticism of Israeli military conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

The diplomatic service did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the research cited by the Spanish leader, and representatives for the Kremlin rejected allegations connecting Russia to the Ceuta crisis.

Israel’s government responded with swift condemnation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed the prime minister’s claims on social media, characterizing them as fabrications designed to deflect from domestic governance challenges.

Sa’ar added that continuing to spread defamatory lies would not distract from administrative failures in Madrid. Tension between the two nations has simmered for months; earlier, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, criticized Spain’s state of emergency declaration in Ceuta and questioned the country’s continued maintenance of colonial enclaves in Africa.

While local officials in Ceuta, including Mayor-President Juan Jesús Vivas, suggested in interviews with El País that the border rush appeared encouraged or permitted by Morocco, Sánchez explicitly rejected those claims. He defended bilateral migration cooperation with Rabat as positive and essential for resolving the emergency.

Instead, Sánchez blamed criminal gangs for driving the surge through digital deception.

Domestically, the government faces heavy pressure from opposition leaders. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative People’s Party, accused authorities of failing to prevent the border invasion or manage the ensuing public order breakdown. Meanwhile, Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, characterized the events as an act of war, arguing that the administration remains incapable of mounting an effective response.