SAFA — Spanish information technology expert Enrique Arias Gil has said that the United States and Israel are behind the recent migrant influx into the Spanish city of Ceuta, describing the situation as an attempt to pressure Madrid over its support for Palestine.

In remarks reported by Russia’s TASS news agency, Arias Gil said Spain’s support for Palestine and its refusal to allow extensive movements of U.S. troops through Spanish territory had created tensions with Washington and Tel Aviv.

He argued that U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were seeking to exert pressure on Madrid over these positions.

Arias Gil said the situation in Ceuta had not emerged suddenly but had been developing for some time. He also accused Spanish authorities of failing to adequately address the issue because of their relationship with Morocco and Moroccan influence over some Spanish politicians.

He said media reports had previously warned of the possibility of a similar scenario unfolding in Ceuta and Melilla, but argued that these warnings reached Spanish officials too late.

Arias Gil linked the crisis to “foreign political interference” in Spanish decision-making and warned that, if the situation continued, Madrid could ultimately risk losing control of Ceuta to Morocco.

Ceuta, a Spanish-administered territory in North Africa bordering Morocco, witnessed a large influx of migrants late last month.

According to figures attributed to the Spanish Interior Ministry, around 72,000 people have entered the city since then, most of whom subsequently returned to Morocco. Ceuta has a population of approximately 85,000.