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Spain's socialist leader absolves Morocco of any involvement in Ceuta crisis that saw 80,000 migrants invade exclave
WATCH: A Spanish lawyer discusses the case of migrant camps being attacked in Ceuta
|GB NEWS

Pedro Sanchez said there was evidence Russia and Israel had spread disinformation over Madrid's migration policy
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has absolved Morocco of any involvement in the Ceuta migrant crisis.
More than 72,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave between July 30 and 31 in a surge at one of the European Union's only two land borders with Africa, prompting alarm across the bloc.
According to Ceuta's local authorities, at least 100 people died in the invasion.
Now, Mr Sanchez has claimed there were signs Russia and Israel had spread the disinformation over Madrid's migration policy.
He told local media: "When people talk and speculate about the participation of Moroccan authorities, I deny this outright."
Videos posted on Instagram, TikTok and other social media spread claimed migrants reaching Ceuta by sea could remain in Spain, encouraging thousands to attempt the crossing, Spanish authorities said.
Mr Sanchez said research by the EU's diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), had indicated Russian and Israeli networks had been behind the spread of disinformation in conjunction with right-wing networks.
He said it was clear the two countries had used the crisis to take aim at Madrid due to dissatisfaction with its position on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza but gave no further details on the evidence he had of their involvement.

Pedro Sanchez blamed traffickers for the incident, claiming they used a 'self-serving interpretation' of a judge's ruling
| REUTERS
Migrants walked towards the border with Morocco leaving Spain
|REUTERS
Both Israel and the Kremlin have denied Mr Sanchez's claims.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a post on social media Mr Sanchez was "lying shamelessly" when accusing the Jewish state of disseminating misleading information about Ceuta, accusing the socialist leader of attempting to distract from domestic policy failures.
Moscow also rejected Spain's allegations the Kremlin was connected to the Ceuta migration crisis, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The EEAS has not publicly commented on Mr Sanchez's remarks.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the claims
|GETTY
Around 5,000 migrants, some seeking asylum, have remained in Ceuta since the border rush, triggering near-daily protests from locals against the Spanish government's handling of the crisis.
Sporadic attacks have been taking place against a makeshift migrant camp at El Trampolin Beach, according to police reports.
Police arrested three Moroccan citizens for lobbing bottles filled with corrosive liquids against an army patrol in Ceuta, according to local media.
No one was injured in the attack, the report added.

Ceuta residents destroyed a migrant camp by the beach
|REUTERS

Migrants were escorted from a makeshift beach camp to official shelters
|REUTERS
Mr Sanchez also announced the cabinet would deploy an additional €168million (£144million) in emergency funds to reactivate Ceuta's economy, a figure equivalent to eight per cent of the enclave's gross domestic product.
This is on top of the €180million (£154million) pledged last week for medium-term recovery efforts.
Mr Sanchez also said King Felipe VI of Spain would visit Ceuta, as it is common practice for the King and Queen Letizia to visit crisis-hit zones immediately.
Juan Vivas, the President of Ceuta, visited the monarch last month and reported the head of the Spanish state wants to visit his city.





