Benedict Cumberbatch, Annie Lennox, Gary Lineker and Dua Lipa have joined more than 300 public figures calling on the prime minister to “end the UK’s complicity” in Gaza.

In an open letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, seen exclusively by Sky News, famous names from the world of media and the arts have joined leading doctors, academics, campaign groups, and a Holocaust survivor.

They have accused the British government of continuing to allow UK arms to be sold to Israel and to providing licences for arms.

The letter, led by refugee charity Choose Love, demands an immediate suspension of all UK arms sales to Israel, immediate humanitarian access for experienced aid agencies, and urges the government to commit to brokering a ceasefire for “the children of Gaza”.

In September 2024, the UK suspended 30 arms licences from about 350 involved in items that go to Israel.

Last week, Sir Keir joined the French and Canadian leaders to warn Israel they will take “concrete actions” if it continues an “egregious” expansion of military operations in Gaza.

The PM also told MPs last week the level of suffering in Gaza, especially among innocent children, was “intolerable” and called Israel’s decision to allow a small amount of aid in “utterly inadequate”.

The letter says: “We urge you to take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza.”

It says children in Gaza are starving while food and medicine “sit just minutes away” in reference to Israel’s 11-week blockade of food and other supplies into Gaza, which was lifted last week.

A new foundation backed by Israel and the US has set up an aid distribution site this week, but the UN has rejected the system as it says it cannot meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million people.

The UN, which has warned the population is facing catastrophic levels of hunger, said it believes 47 people were injured on Tuesday when crowds overwhelmed the aid distribution centre, but Israel said its troops only fired “warning shots” into the air.

Among the famous people to put their names to the letter are singers Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, Massive Attack and Primal Scream.

Actors include Benedict Cumberbatch, Riz Ahmed, Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey, Tilda Swinton, Maxine Peake, Marvel actress Zawe Ashton, Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan, and director Danny Boyle.

TV stars include Dermot O’Leary, Gary Lineker, Chicken Shop Date creator Amelia Dimoldenberg, and presenter Laura Whitmore.

Lineker finished his 26-year stint as Match of the Day presenter this week, after apologising for sharing a social media post from the Palestine Lobby group titled: “Zionism explained in two minutes.”

The Instagram post was illustrated with a rat, which has been used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda – including Nazi Germany.

Lineker “apologised unreservedly” for sharing it, saying he was unaware of the reference and it was a mistake. He maintained the importance of “speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza”.

Photographer and activist Misan Harriman, writer, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, artist Tracey Emin and model Lily Cole have also signed the letter.

Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos has signed the letter, which says 71,000 children under four years old are “acutely malnourished” and they “cry until they can’t cry anymore – until hunger takes even their voices”.

It says they wake up to bombs falling on them, “violence stamped with UK inaction – flown with parts shipped from British factories to Israel”.

The letter warns Sir Keir: “You can’t call it ‘intolerable’, yet do nothing.

“The world is watching and history will not forget. The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute.

“Prime minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war crimes, or the courage to act?”

The letter comes just days after 828 UK-based or qualified legal experts, among them former Supreme Court justices, signed a letter to Sir Keir warning “genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza”.

Israel has repeatedly denied that it is committing genocide in Gaza.

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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.”

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s ex-partner has given birth two weeks after testifying against him – as his legal team failed in a bid to declare a mistrial.

Cassie Ventura gave birth to her third child with partner Alex Fine after going into labour on Tuesday, a close source told Sky’s US partner network NBC News on Wednesday.

The news was later confirmed by her friend and former stylist Deonte Nash, who told Diddy‘s trial that he last spoke to her “after she had the baby yesterday [Tuesday]”.

Diddy trial day eleven – as it happened

Combs, 55, is accused of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one of conspiring to racketeer. He denies all the charges.

Cassie had given evidence while she was more than eight months pregnant. The 38-year-old told the trial that Diddy subjected her to physical, sexual and mental abuse for much of their 11-year relationship.

She alleged he forced her into “hundreds” of drug-fuelled sex sessions with male escorts while he watched, which he referred to as “freak offs”.

News of the birth came on the same day Combs’s legal team tried in vain to get the judge to declare a mistrial.

Alexandra Shapiro, one of Diddy’s attorneys, moved for the mistrial just before the court broke for lunch, during evidence by Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arson investigator Lance Jiminez.

According to Ms Shapiro, Mr Jiminez’s claim that police destroyed fingerprint evidence collected at the scene of an alleged 2012 Molotov cocktail attack on rapper Kid Cudi’s car would lead the jury to believe Combs had something to do with it.

She accused the prosecution of “misconduct” and claimed their questioning of Mr Jiminez was “designed to play into that” narrative.

Another of Diddy’s defence lawyers Marc Agnifilo described the prosecution’s conduct as “outrageous”.

However, prosecution attorney Christy Slavik hit back by saying a mistrial was “completely unwarranted”.

She insisted questions about the destruction of evidence were asked to highlight the poor quality of the police investigation.

Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed the motion and instead told jurors to disregard any reference to the fingerprints.

Earlier on Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer Chris Ignacio detailed the alleged break-in at Kid Cudi’s home in December 2011.

He was called to the scene and noticed a Cadillac Escalade parked in front of the property, the number plate for which later transpired to be registered to Bad Boy Productions, Diddy’s record label.

During his evidence, Cudi alleged it was Diddy who was behind the break-in.

Mr Jiminez then testified about an alleged Molotov cocktail attack on Cudi’s car the following month.

Having investigated the incident, he concluded it was “not a random act” and that the makeshift firebomb had been placed there deliberately, in line with Cudi’s claims.

When Diddy and Cassie’s former stylist Mr Nash took to the stand, he detailed several incidents of alleged violence inflicted on the singer by her then partner.

On one occasion, Diddy turned up at her LA flat, “grabbed her by the hair”, “kicked her” and “hit her pretty hard”, he claimed.

When she hit her head on a bed frame, she suffered a gash to her forehead and eyebrow, he said.

Both he and Mia, a second alleged witness, jumped on the rapper’s back to get him to stop, he told the court.

Following another incident when Diddy demanded to see Cassie, she threatened to “go over the balcony”, Mr Nash told the jury.

Diddy was violent towards him too, he said, once choking him against a car and threatening him not to go out with Cassie and without him.

Despite all this, Mr Nash said he “doesn’t hate” Diddy – and that he had been compelled to give evidence as part of a subpoena.

Mia, which is a pseudonym used to protect her identity, was due to start her evidence on Wednesday but Mr Nash’s testimony overran.

He will resume giving evidence on Thursday, with Mia’s evidence due to last until the court breaks for the weekend.

The trial continues.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s ex-partner has given birth two weeks after testifying against him – as his legal team failed in a bid to declare a mistrial.

Cassie Ventura gave birth to her third child with partner Alex Fine after going into labour on Tuesday, a close source told Sky’s US partner network NBC News on Wednesday.

The news was later confirmed by her friend and former stylist Deonte Nash, who told Diddy‘s trial that he last spoke to her “after she had the baby yesterday [Tuesday]”.

Diddy trial day eleven – as it happened

Combs, 55, is accused of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one of conspiring to racketeer. He denies all the charges.

Cassie had given evidence while she was more than eight months pregnant. The 38-year-old told the trial that Diddy subjected her to physical, sexual and mental abuse for much of their 11-year relationship.

She alleged he forced her into “hundreds” of drug-fuelled sex sessions with male escorts while he watched, which he referred to as “freak offs”.

News of the birth came on the same day Combs’s legal team tried in vain to get the judge to declare a mistrial.

Alexandra Shapiro, one of Diddy’s attorneys, moved for the mistrial just before the court broke for lunch, during evidence by Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arson investigator Lance Jiminez.

According to Ms Shapiro, Mr Jiminez’s claim that police destroyed fingerprint evidence collected at the scene of an alleged 2012 Molotov cocktail attack on rapper Kid Cudi’s car would lead the jury to believe Combs had something to do with it.

She accused the prosecution of “misconduct” and claimed their questioning of Mr Jiminez was “designed to play into that” narrative.

Another of Diddy’s defence lawyers Marc Agnifilo described the prosecution’s conduct as “outrageous”.

However, prosecution attorney Christy Slavik hit back by saying a mistrial was “completely unwarranted”.

She insisted questions about the destruction of evidence were asked to highlight the poor quality of the police investigation.

Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed the motion and instead told jurors to disregard any reference to the fingerprints.

Earlier on Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer Chris Ignacio detailed the alleged break-in at Kid Cudi’s home in December 2011.

He was called to the scene and noticed a Cadillac Escalade parked in front of the property, the number plate for which later transpired to be registered to Bad Boy Productions, Diddy’s record label.

During his evidence, Cudi alleged it was Diddy who was behind the break-in.

Mr Jiminez then testified about an alleged Molotov cocktail attack on Cudi’s car the following month.

Having investigated the incident, he concluded it was “not a random act” and that the makeshift firebomb had been placed there deliberately, in line with Cudi’s claims.

When Diddy and Cassie’s former stylist Mr Nash took to the stand, he detailed several incidents of alleged violence inflicted on the singer by her then partner.

On one occasion, Diddy turned up at her LA flat, “grabbed her by the hair”, “kicked her” and “hit her pretty hard”, he claimed.

When she hit her head on a bed frame, she suffered a gash to her forehead and eyebrow, he said.

Both he and Mia, a second alleged witness, jumped on the rapper’s back to get him to stop, he told the court.

Following another incident when Diddy demanded to see Cassie, she threatened to “go over the balcony”, Mr Nash told the jury.

Diddy was violent towards him too, he said, once choking him against a car and threatening him not to go out with Cassie and without him.

Despite all this, Mr Nash said he “doesn’t hate” Diddy – and that he had been compelled to give evidence as part of a subpoena.

Mia, which is a pseudonym used to protect her identity, was due to start her evidence on Wednesday but Mr Nash’s testimony overran.

He will resume giving evidence on Thursday, with Mia’s evidence due to last until the court breaks for the weekend.

The trial continues.