Spain battles political fallout as 60,000 migrants overwhelm Ceuta border

Spain is facing mounting political pressure after an estimated 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta within 24 hours, triggering one of the country’s worst border crises in recent years.

The unprecedented influx overwhelmed local infrastructure, forced businesses to shut down and disrupted daily life in the North African territory.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the mass crossing, describing it as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity,” as security forces reinforced the border.

Residents expressed frustration over the scale of the influx, saying the territory lacked the resources to cope with such a large number of arrivals.

Although thousands of migrants have reportedly returned voluntarily to Morocco, officials said shortages of food and essential supplies continued to affect the enclave.

The crisis has also reignited political debate across Europe over border security and migration policy, with some politicians calling for tougher controls along the European Union’s external frontiers.

The humanitarian toll also continued to rise, with officials confirming that at least 57 people died during the border surge.

Many of those who crossed into Ceuta said they were fleeing unemployment and economic hardship in Morocco in search of better opportunities in Europe.

Hamas agrees to disarm as Gaza withdrawal deal gains momentum

Hamas has agreed to surrender its weapons under a new internationally backed roadmap aimed at ending the war in Gaza, paving the way for a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops and reviving stalled ceasefire negotiations.

The proposed agreement, announced on Friday, marks a major political breakthrough after months of negotiations over Hamas’ future military role and Israel’s insistence on the group’s complete disarmament before any troop withdrawal.

United States President Donald Trump welcomed the development, describing it as a “major milestone” and saying the agreement provides for Hamas’ “complete disarmament.”

According to the roadmap, Hamas will hand over its weapons to the National Committee for Administration of Gaza, a new governing body expected to oversee civil administration and internal security in the territory.

The agreement also provides for a gradual Israeli military withdrawal, with both processes to be implemented simultaneously under international verification.

A member of Hamas’ negotiating team, Ghazi Hamad, said the movement accepted the arrangement “for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip,” adding that the new governing committee—not Israel—would supervise the disarmament process.

The Board of Peace, which facilitated the negotiations, confirmed that Hamas had accepted a detailed implementation roadmap and said the governing committee would soon begin assuming authority in Gaza.

However, the deal has already exposed political divisions in Israel.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the proposal, describing it as “unacceptable” and warning that it could allow Hamas to regroup.

Although Israeli officials have yet to formally endorse the agreement, political sources maintained that Israel would only proceed with troop withdrawal if Hamas undergoes genuine and verifiable disarmament.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the agreement but cautioned that significant work remained before lasting peace could be achieved.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also described the announcement as one of the few positive developments in the Middle East conflict in recent weeks.

Egypt is expected to host another round of talks involving the United States, Qatar and Turkey to finalise implementation of the ceasefire roadmap.

Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, violence has continued in Gaza, with local health officials reporting that fresh Israeli airstrikes killed at least four people, including two children, highlighting the fragile security situation.

Rubio vows US will keep protecting Gulf shipping, says diplomacy with Iran still possible

By Boniface Ihiasota, Washington DC

United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio on Wednesday said Washington would continue military operations to safeguard international shipping routes from Iranian attacks while insisting that the U.S. remained open to a diplomatic resolution of the crisis.

Rubio, who spoke to journalists in Manila, accused Iran of undermining previous commitments by continuing attacks on commercial vessels transiting a key international waterway.

He said Tehran had failed to uphold an earlier understanding that called for unrestricted maritime navigation, arguing that the latest attacks demonstrated Iran was “not serious” about diplomacy.

“We remain open to diplomacy. We remain open to working it out in a negotiated way. But right now, they don’t seem to be serious about that,” Rubio said.

According to him, the U.S. military would continue targeting sites allegedly used to launch attacks against commercial shipping while protecting vessels passing through the strategic maritime corridor.

“Ships are trying to go through the straits, and they’re getting blown up. The United States is defending that shipping and degrading Iran’s ability to target global shipping,” he said.

Rubio also rejected suggestions that Washington’s objective was to force Iran into submission, arguing instead that the U.S. was determined to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

He claimed Iran had spent decades investing heavily in missiles, drones and proxy groups instead of addressing domestic economic challenges, including soaring inflation and rising food prices.

The U.S. Secretary of State urged more countries to join efforts to secure international shipping lanes, saying many nations depended more heavily on the affected maritime route than the United States.

Although Washington had not made fresh requests during meetings with Asian allies in Manila, Rubio disclosed that previous discussions had explored possible contributions, including naval mine-clearing capabilities.

He maintained that the U.S. would prefer a negotiated settlement but insisted that freedom of navigation could not be compromised.

Rubio also confirmed he would meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the war in Ukraine, saying Washington remained willing to play a constructive role in efforts to end the conflict while pursuing cooperation with Moscow on other strategic issues.