A pro-Palestine artist has called for a ceasefire in Gaza by portraying Rishi Sunak and Benjamin Netenyahu as characters from Grease on a poster carrying the message “Cease is the word”.

The “subvertising” stunt by Bod, a Dorset-based artist, features the faces of the British and the Israeli prime ministers superimposed onto main characters Danny and Sandy as they share an embrace.

The poster was displayed at a bus stop in Weymouth, Dorset on Wednesday.

Bod’s mock film advertisement is a play on words from the classic Franki Valli song Grease, which features the lyric: “Grease is the word”.

‘MPs vote on supporting ceasefire’

Bod, who is a resident artist at Saint Nic’s Gallery in Weymouth, said: “This poster was designed as an eye-catching ride on the back of a popular image, to express frustration at watching politicians avoiding words like ‘sorry’ or ‘ceasefire’.

“A majority of the country wants a ceasefire in Palestine and sadly, seeing politicians not supporting a ‘ceasefire’ is easily viewed as choosing the other option, which is further killing of civilians. ‘Cease’ is the word, not ‘Pause’.”

He added: “A lot of the advert hoardings around Weymouth are unlocked and easily changed. It’s subvertising.”

The political protest poster calling for an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict comes as Sir Keir Starmer faced a test of his authority as MPs voted for a second time on supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, on Wednesday.

Labour rebellion avoided

Sir Keir appeared to have avoided a Labour rebellion after his compromise plan was selected to be voted on.

The Prince of Wales called for an end to the fighting in Gaza on Tuesday after saying “too many have been killed” in the conflict, urging more humanitarian aid and the release of hostages as he called for “an end to the fighting as soon as possible”.

His intervention was backed by No 10, which said the nation should speak with “one voice”.

The Israeli government responded to his remarks with spokesman Eylon Levy saying: “Israelis of course want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible, and that will be possible once the 134 hostages are released and once the Hamas terror army threatening to repeat the Oct 7 atrocities is dismantled.

“We appreciate the Prince of Wales’s call for Hamas to free the hostages. We also recall with gratitude his statement from Oct 11 condemning Hamas’s terror attacks and reaffirming Israel’s right of self-defence against them.”

The 41-year-old Prince’s intervention marks a departure for the Royal family, which normally avoids public comment on contentious or political issues.