Spain's leader says Russia and Israel fueled Ceuta migrant crisis "disinformation"

Key Points:

• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Russian and Israeli-linked networks of spreading disinformation about the Ceuta migration crisis, alleging these countries exploited the issue in retaliation for Spain's stance on Ukraine and Israel-Palestinian conflicts.
• Over 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta between July 30-31, with at least 70 deaths reported; most were returned to Morocco, but around 5,000 remained by late August, including 1,200 minors.
• Sánchez denied claims that Morocco encouraged the border rush, emphasizing positive cooperation between Spain and Morocco on immigration and stating the crisis requires collaborative resolution.
• Israeli officials condemned Sánchez’s accusations as false, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar calling them "brazen lies," while Russia also rejected the allegations through anonymous Kremlin sources.
• The migration surge sparked concern across Europe, prompting 22 EU leaders to call for coordinated action against illegal migration and referencing Spain’s large-scale regularization program for undocumented migrants as a potential pull factor.