A group of eight prisoners, all awaiting trial for alleged offences connected to the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, are engaged in a dangerous hunger strike across several UK prisons, with seven having been taken to hospital due to deteriorating health.
Who Are the Hunger Strikers and What Are Their Demands?
The protest began on 2 November when Qesser Zuhrah, 20, and Amu Gib, 30, incarcerated at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, refused food. They were joined a day later by Heba Muraisi, 31, at HMP New Hall. The group also includes Teuta Hoxha, 29, Kamran Ahmed, 28, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, who is refusing food every other day due to his diabetes.
Earlier in December, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid ended their 41-day and 13-day hunger strikes respectively for health reasons, after being admitted to hospital and later discharged back to prison.
The activists face serious charges. Cink, Khalid, Chiaramello and Gib are accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton in June, where two military jets were allegedly damaged. Their trial is not scheduled until 2027. Zuhrah, Muraisi, Hoxha and Ahmed are accused of roles in a break-in at the Israeli-linked defence firm Elbit Systems in 2024, with a trial expected in May 2025 at the earliest. All deny the charges.
Their core demands are: immediate bail, an end to the ban on Palestine Action (which was proscribed under terrorism legislation), and the removal of restrictions on their communications. They have also called for the closure of Elbit Systems.
Government and Prison Service Response
Lawyers for the group have heavily criticised Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy for refusing to meet with them, accusing him of failing to adhere to the Ministry of Justice's own policy on handling hunger strikes.
In response to parliamentary questions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that "rules and procedures" were being followed. Prisons Minister James Timpson asserted the service was "very experienced" and had "robust" systems, confirming the government would "not be meeting" the prisoners or their representatives. Commons leader Alan Campbell stated the government was "not trying to break the bodies" of the protesters.
The Prison Service cannot force-feed inmates, but representatives allege significant failures in medical care. It is claimed an ambulance for Qesser Zuhrah was only called after she spent a night begging for hospital transfer, and that her vital signs were taken intermittently. She also reportedly received inadequate electrolytes after returning from hospital due to HMP Bronzefield running out.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Prisoners’ wellbeing is continually assessed, and appropriate action is taken, including hospital treatment where required." HMP Bronzefield added that any prisoner refusing food receives "regular medical assessment and support."
Severe and Escalating Health Risks
The health situation is critical. Seven prisoners have required hospital treatment since their strikes began, with five admitted more than once.
Dr James Smith, an emergency physician at University College London who is in contact with some activists and families, warned at a recent press conference that some strikers are "slowly dying." He explained: "After approximately three weeks, the body has exhausted fat stores and begins to break down muscle and organ tissue... There is a risk that grows with every passing day of sudden, severe and unpredictable bodily dysfunction."
The standoff continues as families seek urgent intervention from the Justice Secretary, while the government maintains its position, leaving the activists' health in a precarious and declining state.
