Spain Accuses Israel and Russia of Spreading False Information on Migrant Crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has accused Israel and Russia of disseminating false information that fueled a massive influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The accusations stem from a surge of over 72,000 irregular border crossings from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, which reportedly resulted in at least 100 deaths. Social media platforms hosted videos falsely claiming that migrants arriving in Ceuta by sea could remain in Spain, a narrative Spanish authorities believe incited thousands to attempt the perilous journey.

Sánchez rejected accusations against Rabat, which some opposition groups and human rights organizations had suspected of intentionally allowing migrants to pass. He stated that investigations by the European External Action Service identified Russian and Israeli networks, linked to far-right movements, as being behind the disinformation campaign. The Prime Minister suggested that both Israel and Russia exploited the crisis to target Madrid due to its stances on the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts.

However, Sánchez did not publicly present specific evidence to support these claims. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar vehemently denied the accusations, calling Sánchez's statements a "blatant lie" and accusing him of "shamelessly lying." Sa'ar asserted that continuing to spread defamatory falsehoods would not distract from Sánchez's "shameful failure" in managing his country's affairs.

As of the report, approximately 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta. In response to the crisis and its economic repercussions, the Spanish government announced an additional emergency aid package of 168 million euros, adding to a previous pledge of 180 million euros for medium-term reconstruction.