France finds Israel-linked pages spread narrative tying riots to Islamism, migration

A covert Russian influence operation attempted to capitalize on violent unrest that swept across France in October 2026, according to an internal European Union assessment obtained by Reuters on November 9. The investigation identified a Russian-linked disinformation campaign known as Operation Overload. This campaign distributed manipulated videos designed to resemble reports from established Western media outlets. Some of the fabricated content falsely accused migrants of sexually assaulting demonstrators, while other posts warned of impending terrorist attacks.

The disinformation campaign coincided with widespread protests over increasing living costs and declining public services, which developed into violent clashes and riots in several French cities. The disturbances were among the most serious episodes of civil unrest France has experienced in decades. Covering the period from October 7 to 21, the EU assessment concluded that the Russian network sought to present France’s leadership as both ineffective and increasingly authoritarian, using concerns about migration and public safety to amplify social tensions.

Nevertheless, investigators found no indication that Russia or other external actors had initiated the protests or contributed directly to their escalation, Reuters reported. Instead, the assessment described the disinformation activity as an effort to take advantage of unrest that was already underway. French President Emmanuel Macron said on October 21 that there had been no visible foreign interference in the protests, but that foreign information manipulation had taken place.

A separate assessment by the French Foreign Ministry, also seen by Reuters, recorded significant reach for posts about the unrest on social network X. The 10 most-viewed publications from pro-Russian circles received 2.8 million views on October 16 to 18. According to the French ministry, the 10 most popular posts by officials, media outlets, and influencers linked to the MAGA movement collected more than 49 million views over that period. Ten posts by Israeli officials, state accounts, media outlets, and influencers received more than 35 million views.

The French assessment stated that accounts linked to Israel and the MAGA movement promoted narratives connecting the unrest with radical Islamism and migration. The Times of Israel reported that France found Israel-linked pages spread a narrative tying riots to Islamism and migration. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry of Russia did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters stated it was unable to independently verify the claims presented in the EU and French Foreign Ministry assessments, and Decode39 noted that the EU assessment findings reinforce warnings on hybrid threats.