A British-Palestinian woman on a prolonged hunger strike in a UK prison is facing imminent death as she reaches a critical 66 days without food, with friends warning her condition is rapidly deteriorating.
'Death is a very real possibility'
Heba Muraisi, a 31-year-old lifeguard from Barnet, north London, has now become the longest-serving Palestine hunger striker in the UK. Her childhood friend, Hinda, told Novara Media on January 6 that "death is a very real possibility for Heba right now," describing her as a loving and selfless person.
Muraisi began her open-ended hunger strike on November 2 alongside several other activists. She is currently being held at HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire, some 200 miles away from her family and support network after being transferred from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.
Deteriorating Health and Restricted Access
In audio messages sent to the Metro, Muraisi revealed she is "terrified" and feels "weaker" with each passing day. She described severe physical symptoms, stating: "My body shakes, I get dizzy to the point of nausea and now breathing is getting hard. I am deteriorating in this cell, I am dying."
Her health issues include uncontrollable muscle spasms, which could indicate neurological damage, and significant breathing difficulties. Despite this, she claims to be heavily restricted, with visitors blocked, phone numbers—including those of doctors—rejected, emails blocked, and her legal team ignored.
Francesca Nadin, a spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine and Muraisi's next of kin, labelled the decision to move her as a "cruel" attack.
The Filton 24 and Brize Norton 4 Protests
Muraisi is part of a group of prisoners known as the Filton 24 and Brize Norton 4, who are awaiting trial for direct action protests against the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems. Their charges include serious offences such as aggravated burglary and criminal damage.
Muraisi's trial is not scheduled until June 2026, meaning she will have spent close to two years in prison on remand by that time. Other strikers have paused their protests, but several continue.
Kamran Ahmed, 28, has been hospitalised five times since reaching day 58 of his strike and is now experiencing sporadic hearing loss. Another protester, 22-year-old Lewie Chiaramello, who has type 1 diabetes, is on day 44 of an alternate-day food refusal.
Demands and Government Response
Palestine Action's demands include immediate bail, fair trials, the closure of Elbit Systems' UK sites, and the dropping of all non-association orders. They have also specifically called for Muraisi to be transferred back to HMP Bronzefield to be nearer her family.
The strike is the longest seen in the UK since the 1981 IRA hunger strikes, in which ten men died. Palestine Action has launched a legal battle against the government, submitting a formal pre-action letter to Justice Secretary David Lammy on December 22. They accuse the government of failing to follow its own prison safety protocols.
In a statement provided to The Mirror via the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of State for Prisons, Lord Timpson, said: "While very concerning, hunger strikes are not a new issue for our prisons... Prison healthcare teams provide NHS care and continuously monitor the situation." He stated that claims hospital care is being refused are "entirely misleading" and emphasised that ministers will not meet with the strikers, citing the separation of powers.
The situation remains critical as Heba Muraisi's health continues to fail behind bars.
