Dua Lipa, other stars press PM over UK complicity in Gaza 'horrors'
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Dua Lipa, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Mark Ruffalo are among 300 public figures urging Keir Starmer to suspend arms sales to "Israel".
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From left to right, Dua Lipa, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Gary Lineker (AP)
More than 300 public figures, including international artists such as Dua Lipa, Mark Ruffalo, and Benedict Cumberbatch, have signed an open letter addressed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, demanding urgent action to end Britain's role in the unfolding Gaza humanitarian crisis.
The signatories condemned the UK’s continued arms sales to “Israel” and accused the government of enabling the collective starvation of Palestinians.
“We urge you to take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza,” the letter begins.
“Right now, children in Gaza are starving while food and medicine sit just minutes away, blocked at the border. Words won’t feed Palestinian children, we need action. Every single one of Gaza’s 2.1 million people is at risk of starvation, as you read this.”
The letter, part of a growing movement within the entertainment industry for Gaza activism, called for an immediate suspension of all UK arms exports to “Israel”, alongside demands for unrestricted humanitarian access and an unequivocal commitment to brokering a ceasefire.
Other notable figures who signed include Brian Eno, Annie Lennox, Tobias Menzies, Tilda Swinton, Toby Jones, Steve Coogan, Sadie Frost, Wolf Alice, Ruth Negga, Lily Cole, and Riz Ahmed.
The signatories emphasized the scale of the crisis, stating, “Mothers, fathers, babies, grandparents, an entire people left to starve before the world’s eyes. 290,000 children are on the brink of death, starved by the Israeli government for more than 70 days.”
Artists denounce UK complicity in Gaza famine
The intervention by these public figures adds to growing pressure on Keir Starmer's government, which has faced criticism for its support of “Israel” throughout the ongoing genocide on Gaza.
The entertainers framed their appeal as a moral and political demand, urging the UK to use its influence not to sustain the siege but to help dismantle it.
“A ceasefire must be brokered immediately,” the letter says. “Aid must flow freely, and weapons must no longer be sent to fuel this atrocity.”
The open letter reflects an increasingly vocal position by artists and cultural workers calling for an end to UK complicity in war crimes.
This letter follows others from prominent voices, such as Elton John, who recently addressed a separate issue relating to intellectual property and artificial intelligence regulation in creative sectors.
Wider protests target corporate links to 'Israel'
Meanwhile, international protests continue to grow against companies with ties to Israeli operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Over 200 artists recently pledged to boycott festivals affiliated with Superstruct, a global events company owned by KKR, citing the firm’s links to the Coastal GasLink pipeline and investments in Israeli entities.
The letter targeting Keir Starmer adds another layer to the mounting calls for accountability from UK leadership. As Gaza's crisis escalates and famine looms, pressure from public figures is intensifying, not only for a change in rhetoric but for a decisive shift in policy.
