Over 300 UK Arts and Media Figures Urge Government to End ‘Complicity’ in Gaza War
More than 300 prominent figures from the arts, media, and civil society have called on the British government to end what they describe as its “complicity” in the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, obtained by Sky News on Thursday, the signatories demanded urgent action to halt UK arms exports to the Zionist entity and to support an immediate ceasefire.
Among the well-known names endorsing the letter are actor Benedict Cumberbatch, singer Dua Lipa, musician Annie Lennox, presenter Gary Lineker, singer Paloma Faith, and actress Lena Headey. The initiative was led by the refugee charity Choose Love and supported by leading doctors, academics, campaign organizations, and even a Holocaust survivor. The letter accuses the UK government of licensing arms sales to Israel, thereby making it complicit in what it describes as war crimes.
The signatories urged the British government to allow immediate humanitarian access to aid agencies and to push for a ceasefire “for the children of Gaza.” The letter highlighted the dire situation in the enclave, where children are starving while food and medical supplies remain just out of reach. “You can’t call it ‘intolerable,’ yet do nothing,” the letter stated, directly challenging Starmer to choose between complicity and courageous action.
This appeal comes in the wake of mounting legal and international pressure, including a joint statement from over 800 British judges and lawyers urging the government to take steps to prevent and punish genocide.
The Zionist aggression on Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has reportedly killed over 54,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—despite global calls for a ceasefire. The Zionist entity now faces proceedings at both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice for war crimes and acts of genocide.
