More than 300 public figures – including singer Dua Lipa, broadcaster Gary Lineker and actor Benedict Cumberbatch – have signed an open letter urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to immediately suspend arms exports to Israel and take decisive steps to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement, coordinated by the refugee charity Choose Love, accuses the UK of enabling civilian deaths through continued arms licensing and brands British policy “complicity in war crimes”.
“We urge you to take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza,” the letter reads. “The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute.”
The signatories span the world of entertainment, activism and academia and include Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos. Others who have backed the letter include singer Annie Lennox, director Danny Boyle, actors Riz Ahmed and Tilda Swinton, and television presenters Laura Whitmore and Dermot O’Leary.
Dermot O’Leary
Actor Lena Headey, Marvel star Zawe Ashton, and Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan are also among those calling for an end to arms sales, alongside prominent artists, academics and medical professionals.
The letter demands three actions from the UK government: an immediate freeze on military exports to Israel, unrestricted humanitarian access into Gaza, and a commitment to peace talks prioritising civilian protection.
It directly challenges Starmer’s recent rhetoric, in which he described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “intolerable”. The letter responds: “You can’t call it ‘intolerable’ yet do nothing… What will you choose? Complicity in war crimes, or the courage to act?”
Among the specific allegations, the letter refers to children under the age of four facing acute malnutrition while food and medicine sat just “minutes away” during Israel’s 11-week blockade – which was only lifted last week.
It further states: “They wake up to bombs falling on them, violence stamped with UK inaction – flown with parts shipped from British factories to Israel.”
Gary Lineker, who stepped down last week as host of Match of the Day, also signed the letter just days after apologising for sharing a controversial pro-Palestinian social media post that featured a rat – a symbol historically used in antisemitic propaganda. Lineker has said he was unaware of the connotation and continues to stand by his right to “speak out on humanitarian issues”.
Gary Lineker appears in a video statement following confirmation of his departure from the BBC. Photo Credit: BBC/@garylineker (Instagram)
A UK government spokesperson responded to the letter saying: “We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.”
They added that while some arms licences were suspended in 2024, the UK “continues to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict” and reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire and lasting peace.
The intervention from figures across music, television, film, academia and human rights comes amid mounting pressure on the UK over its role in arms trading and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Last week the British government announced that it would be suspending talks with Israel on a free trade agreement, citing the current situation in Gaza as the reason.
