Dua Lipa among public figures urging UK to end arms sales to Israel

Pop star Dua Lipa joined some 300 UK celebrities in signing an open letter on Thursday urging Britain to halt arms sales to Israel, after similar pleas from lawyers and writers.

Actors, musicians, activists and other public figures wrote the letter calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "end the UK's complicity in the horrors in Gaza".

British-Albanian pop sensation Dua Lipa has been vocal about Israel's war on Gaza and last year criticised the offensive as a "genocide".

Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide and says its campaign intends to crush Hamas after the deadly October 2023 attack by the Palestinian militants.

Other signatories include actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton and Riz Ahmed, and musicians Paloma Faith, Annie Lennox and Massive Attack.

"You can't call it 'intolerable' and keep sending arms," read the letter to Starmer organised by Choose Love, a UK-based humanitarian aid and refugee advocacy charity.