MADRID (Dispatches) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has directly accused Israel of orchestrating a mass migrant influx into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, stating that Tel Aviv weaponized social media disinformation to retaliate against Spain’s vocal opposition to Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference, Sanchez revealed that intelligence from the European Commission pointed to Israeli-linked social media pages as the primary drivers behind a wave of false rumors that prompted roughly 70,000 migrants to storm the Moroccan border and swim toward Ceuta on July 30.
“This type of hoax was used and spread via social media. That is what we know,” Sanchez stated, emphasizing that the campaign was no coincidence but a deliberate act of Israeli-sponsored manipulation aimed at destabilizing Spain.
The prime minister drew a direct line between Israel’s actions and Spain’s diplomatic posture, noting that Madrid has consistently blocked U.S. naval vessels carrying weapons for Israel from docking at Spanish ports.
“Is Israel really interested in the issue of migrants to Spain to this extent,” Sanchez asked, “or is it attacking the Spanish position against the genocide in Gaza?”
Sanchez has been one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israeli genocide, repeatedly condemning the bombing of hospitals, the starvation of civilians, and the mass displacement of Palestinians. He has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “the extermination of a defenseless people” and a “violation of all international law.”
Spain has also denounced the U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran as “illegal,” “unjustified,” and an “extraordinary mistake.” Madrid refused to authorize U.S. forces to use Spanish military bases at Rota and Morón de la Frontera for operations related to the terrorist ward later imposed a complete ban on U.S. military aircraft involved in the campaign from using Spanish airspace.
Sanchez suggested that Israel’s manipulation of the Ceuta migration crisis was an act of political coercion — a direct retaliation for Spain’s principled stance against Israeli aggression and its refusal to be complicit in illegal wars.
Tens of thousands of migrants, many believing the online rumors that Spanish soil would automatically grant them asylum, crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in late July. While most were returned the following day, more than 40 migrants drowned during the chaotic attempt, underscoring the deadly consequences of the disinformation campaign that Sanchez attributes to Israeli networks.
“Israeli networks spread these hoaxes and attacked the Spanish government and Europe over the corrosive issue of irregular migration, which divides and polarizes many European societies,” Sanchez stated.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on Morocco’s northern coast, has long been a flashpoint for migration attempts. A similar though smaller wave occurred in May 2021, when approximately 10,000 people entered amid diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat.