A glittering coalition of stars and survivors has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to suspend all UK arms sales to Israel as the Gaza conflict grinds on. In an open letter organised by the charity Choose Love, over 300 actors, musicians such as Dua Lipa, activists and public figures demanded “immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors of Gaza.”
🛑 “Stop arms sales—words won’t save children”
Letter founder Josie Naughton insisted:
“Words won’t save the lives of Palestinian children as they are being killed, words won’t fill their empty stomachs. We need action from Keir Starmer now. That means stopping arms sales, making sure that legitimate humanitarian organisations can reach people in Gaza. It means doing everything possible to make these horrors end.”
Signatories include pop star Dua Lipa, football presenter Gary Lineker, actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Brian Cox, Nicola Coughlan, singers Paloma Faith and Annie Lennox, and Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos—all urging Starmer to broker “an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
🚚 Aid access and ceasefire pledges
The letter calls on the Prime Minister to:
- Suspend all UK arms sales to Israel, including F-35 jet parts.
- Use “all available means” to guarantee humanitarian aid into Gaza.
- Commit to the children of Gaza by brokering “an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
⚔️ Government response and limits
Starmer has condemned Israel’s renewed offensive as “intolerable,” suspended trade talks, sanctioned West Bank settlers and summoned the Israeli ambassador. A Government spokesperson stated:
“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… Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.”
However, ministers argue that halting F-35 parts exports is impossible due to the UK’s role in a global supply chain.
🔮 What happens next?
With mounting public pressure and star power behind the call, Starmer faces a crucial test: follow through on suspensions already in place, or push further towards a total arms embargo. Either way, the spotlight is firmly on Downing Street to turn words into deeds.
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