Brutal UK Hunger Strike by Palestine Activists Enters Day 56
Four Palestine Action prisoners in UK jails are on a brutal hunger strike that has dragged on for 56 days. Their health is collapsing. One can no longer speak. Another faints every time they try to stand.
Prisoners Endure Severe Suffering Amid Fierce Protest
Campaign group Prisoners for Palestine have named the strikers as Teuta Hoxha, Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello. All await trial while locked up in various UK prisons.
Heba Muraisi, held at HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire, says she feels “weaker as each day passes” with “bruising on her arm” and “constant body ache.” She warns, “I can no longer lie on my side as it hurts my face. I am losing the ability to form sentences and struggling to maintain conversation.”
Teuta Hoxha, 29, at HMP Peterborough, is “virtually bedridden” with dizzy spells and brain fog. She can’t stand without blacking out.
Hospitalised Activists Spark Outrage Over Ambulance Delay
Two other activists, Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib, ended their strike after 48 days due to severe health issues and were hospitalised at HMP Bronzefield, Surrey.
Serious allegations have emerged that Qesser Zuhrah was denied timely ambulance care, sparking protests outside Bronzefield prison. Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana publicly backed the campaign. The Ministry of Justice vehemently denies any mistreatment.
Legal Fight Drags On With Christmas Approaching
The eight activists face charges for break-ins at Elbit Systems UK and RAF Brize Norton. Authorities accuse them of sabotage involving red paint on RAF planes. Their earliest trial date isn’t until May 2026.
On Tuesday, the four hunger strikers demanded Heba Muraisi be moved back to Bronzefield. They also called for immediate bail and the right to free, unsupervised communication.
A Prisoners for Palestine spokesperson said: “Unlike prison guards who lock up prisoners early to go home for Christmas dinner, the hunger strikers get no Christmas break. Like Gaza’s Christians freezing under settler-colonial terror, these strikers tell us, ‘Don’t forget Palestine at Christmas.’ They demand a meeting with the British government on their behalf.”
Lawyers warn the prisoners face the risk of death if their demands continue to be ignored. They have launched legal action against the UK government for “abandoning its own prison safety policy framework.” Multiple letters to Justice Secretary David Lammy have gone unanswered.
Government Refuses to Meet Protesters, Stands Firm
James Timpson, Minister for Prisons, told The Independent hunger strikes are a grim but familiar challenge. He insisted the government’s systems are “robust” and that they will not negotiate with prisoners or their representatives.
The Ministry of Justice stated ministers will not intervene in individual prison cases, citing the need to protect ongoing legal proceedings and judicial independence. Decisions about healthcare rest with NHS professionals.
An HMP Bronzefield spokesperson confirmed all prisoners are managed under strict government policies and security assessments.
Countdown to Christmas: Lives at Risk, Protest Unyielding
The hunger strike began in mid-November 2025. Despite some strikers being hospitalised, the remaining four refuse to end their protest. They are risking their lives to spotlight the Palestinian cause — demanding urgent government action before it’s too late.
