Over 300 UK Celebrities Urge Starmer to Suspend Arms Sales to Israel

More than 300 UK celebrities, including Dua Lipa, Gary Lineker, and Benedict Cumberbatch, have signed an open letter urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to suspend arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The letter, organized by the charity Choose Love, calls on Starmer to take immediate action to end the UK's complicity in the violence, ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, and broker an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Signatories emphasized the urgent need to protect Palestinian children and criticized the continuation of arms sales while describing the situation as intolerable. The appeal follows Israel's renewed military offensive in Gaza and the UK government's previous suspension of some arms export licenses to Israel due to risks of humanitarian law breaches. Gary Lineker, who recently left his BBC role following controversy over his social media posts on the conflict, was among the signatories demanding concrete action from the UK government. The letter reflects growing public and celebrity pressure on the UK to change its policy towards the conflict and support humanitarian efforts in Gaza.