Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, actress Dame Judi Dench and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai have added their names to an open letter urging the Prime Minister to suspend arms sales to Israel.
The trio are among a number of celebrities who have added their signatories to the letter, published by refugee charity Choose Love last month, and already signed by stars including Dua Lipa and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem.
As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory.
It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'.
Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call.
'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.'
Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza.
Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet.
But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up.
Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'.
Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.'
A Government spokesperson said: '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.'
'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.'
'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.'
'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
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