Aug 4, 2026, 12:00 AM UTC

Following an unprecedented migration influx into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, local authorities estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the territory, down from a peak entry figure estimated by Regional President Juan Jesús Vivas at 80,000. Meanwhile, Morocco’s Interior Ministry acknowledged 40,000 arrivals in Ceuta and 1,135 in Melilla, while confirming 11 deaths on Moroccan soil.

The emergency has strained Spain's central government in Madrid. Internal disagreements emerged between the Interior and Defense ministries over border management. Concurrently, the Prime Minister's office dismissed a National Security Department communications official for publishing an unauthorized report stating 49,000 people had crossed. Spanish authorities now face a mandatory 15-day statutory deadline to transfer hundreds of unaccompanied migrant minors from Ceuta to mainland regions.

Sources: Canarias7, Diário de Notícias, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia

Spain is managing severe summer hazards alongside contrasting economic trends. Emergency crews recently stabilized a forest fire in Casas de Millán, Cáceres, which burned over 1,352 hectares after a truck caught fire on the A-66 motorway. The event underscores broader wildfire concerns, with data showing machinery sparks have triggered nearly 10,000 Spanish blazes this century. Additionally, health authorities confirmed 12 heat-related deaths in the Canary Islands since June.

On the economic front, Spain welcomed nearly 46.6 million foreign visitors during the first six months of the year, representing a 4.6% year-on-year increase according to the National Statistics Institute. At the same time, Bank of Spain figures show household mortgage debt rose 4.1% in June to €527.67 billion, with housing loans accounting for 73% of total family debt.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, La Provincia, La Vanguardia

Unprecedented heatwaves and severe drought continue to drop water levels along Europe's major rivers to historic lows, disrupting transport, industry, and energy production across the continent.

Recent measurements along the Rhine at Cologne in Germany and Lobith in the Netherlands recorded all-time low depths. Along the Danube, levels dropped to minus 163 centimeters at Bezdan on the Croatia-Serbia border, breaking a record set in 1909. Meanwhile, saltwater from the Adriatic Sea is creeping upstream into Italy's Po River.

The environmental crisis is threatening energy infrastructure across Southeastern Europe. Romanian authorities conducted underwater detonations on the Danube to improve water flow toward the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. In Serbia, where temperatures reached 39 degrees Celsius, the government urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption after production at the Đerdap hydroelectric plant fell to its lowest point since the early 1970s.

Sources: Avaz, Beta, Danas, HRT Vijesti, N1

The U.S. Board of Peace has assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas completes full disarmament. The clarification follows Jerusalem submitting official security objections to U.S. President Donald Trump's postwar peace framework.

Israeli leadership rejected an earlier draft calling for a phased military withdrawal alongside an immediate halt to strikes, warning that a premature exit could enable further attacks by Hamas. Israeli officials maintained that total disarmament is a non-negotiable prerequisite before any force redeployment occurs. Meanwhile, Hamas representatives stated that their compliance with any agreement regarding weaponry remains dependent on initial steps taken by Israel.

Sources: FAZ, France24, Le Monde, ORF, Tagesschau.

Thousands of migrants remain in makeshift beach encampments in Ceuta following last week's massive crossing attempt from Morocco. Regional officials in the enclave have requested that Madrid declare a state of emergency to deploy military reinforcements, while Spanish security forces report returning roughly 95 percent of recent illegal entrants.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling for a "joint European response" to strengthen outer EU borders through enhanced surveillance.

Discrepancies remain regarding casualties resulting from drownings and border stampedes. Spanish authorities state that at least 88 bodies have been recovered, whereas Moroccan officials contest these figures, asserting that the death toll is substantially lower and attributing the migration wave to online misinformation.

Sources: Danas, HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix, Poslovni dnevnik