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

Over 300 UK public figures, including pop star Dua Lipa, actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, and broadcaster Gary Lineker, have signed an open letter urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to immediately suspend arms sales to Israel and broker a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The letter, organized by the refugee charity Choose Love, accuses the UK government of complicity in war crimes due to ongoing arms licensing amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands have died and a blockade has caused fears of starvation and acute malnutrition among children. Signatories demand full humanitarian access to Gaza and criticize Starmer’s description of the situation as "intolerable" without taking sufficient action. While the UK government suspended some arms export licenses last year citing risks of breaching humanitarian law, the letter calls for a complete halt to all arms exports to Israel. The open letter reflects growing global outrage over Israel's intensified military offensive following the end of a ceasefire in March, which has led to widespread civilian casualties and destruction. The signatories emphasize the urgent need for the UK to choose between complicity in war crimes or the courage to act decisively to protect civilians and uphold international law.