Six prisoners in British jails are now on a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestine, with some reaching a critical day 48 without food. This marks the longest such protest in the UK since the fatal 1981 IRA hunger strikes.
A Protest Reaching Critical Stages
The individuals refusing food are identified as Qesser Zuhrah, Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello. They were incarcerated for allegedly targeting the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems. The protest, which began on November 2, has now entered what advocates describe as a medically severe phase.
Ella Moulsdale, a friend of Qesser Zuhrah, stated that "any day after day 35 is considered the final and severe stage of starvation, when your body essentially starts to eat itself." Reports indicate that on December 16, Zuhrah requested an ambulance from HMP Bronzefield staff due to chest pains and breathlessness.
Demands and Delays in the Justice System
The strikers have issued a list of core demands. These include an end to censorship of their mail, immediate release on bail, and the right to a fair trial with full disclosure of communications between Elbit, Israel, and the British government. They also seek the de-proscription of the activist group Palestine Action and the permanent closure of all Elbit sites in the UK.
Campaigners highlight what they call a "grotesque violation" of British justice, noting that some of the accused have been held for over a year without trial. Amu Gib, for instance, is not expected to face a jury until 2027. In pre-recorded audio, Teuta Hoxha characterised the legal environment as a "witch hunt, not a fair fight," criticising the use of counter-terrorism powers.
Historical Echoes and Political Pressure
The current protest draws inevitable parallels to the 1981 IRA hunger strikes, during which ten men died, including Bobby Sands after 66 days. The prisoners' legal team, Imran Khan and Partners, has warned Foreign Secretary David Lammy that "young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence."
Pressure on the Labour government is mounting from the cultural sphere. Hundreds of figures, including author Sally Rooney, members of The Pogues, and rap group Kneecap, have backed the strike. Producer David Holmes issued a stark warning to Prime Minister Keir Starmer: "Don’t be like Thatcher! It will not end well for anyone including the Labour Government."
As the health of the strikers deteriorates, the central question facing ministers is whether to intervene in a case that sits at the contentious intersection of justice, protest, and international politics.
