Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has categorically denied that Moroccan authorities were behind the massive influx of migrants into Ceuta last month, while accusing Russia, Israel and an international far-right network of fuelling the crisis through disinformation. Speaking to Cadena Ser radio on Monday, Sánchez said no intelligence service cooperating with Madrid had found any evidence of Moroccan involvement in the events of 30 and 31 July, when an unprecedented wave of some 70,000 people — men, women and children — crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave on Africa's northern coast. At least 82 people were found dead on the Spanish side of the border, with Morocco confirming a further 14 deaths.

Sánchez said the mass crossing had been partly driven by false claims spread across social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok, which incorrectly suggested that migrants who reached Ceuta by swimming could not be deported back to Morocco. He said these claims distorted a July ruling by Spain's Supreme Court and were amplified by criminal trafficking networks. Beyond that, the prime minister pointed to an investigation by the European External Action Service — the EU's diplomatic arm — which he said identified social media accounts linked to Russia and Israel as key vectors of disinformation. Sánchez framed the motive in geopolitical terms, arguing that both countries were exploiting the crisis to attack Madrid over Spain's positions on the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza.

Both accused governments rejected the allegations forcefully. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the claim a