The health of some Palestine Action detainees on hunger strike in UK prisons has sharply declined, according to campaign group Prisoners for Palestine, amid continued government silence on their demands.
The detainees have been refusing food since 20 October in protest at their ongoing pre-trial detention and what supporters describe as politically motivated prosecutions linked to pro-Palestine activism.
Campaigners accuse the UK government of allowing the situation to worsen in order to preserve military and commercial ties with Israel.
In response to official inaction, the group Justice For The Hunger-Strikers targeted the Labour Party’s London headquarters this week, splashing red paint on the building and breaking windows in an act of solidarity.
Prisoners for Palestine reports that Heba Muraisi is now on the 58th day of her hunger strike and is suffering dangerously low levels of thiamine, a vitamin essential for brain function.
Visitors say she struggles to form sentences, experiences facial pain and is unable to sleep on her side.
The group also says Qesser Zuhrah, who ended her hunger strike after 48 days, was initially denied an ambulance until protesters including MP Zarah Sultana gathered outside the prison.
Concerns have also been raised about prison conditions. Visitors to Muraisi at HMP New Hall reported strip searches and the forced removal of Islamic headscarves.
Despite the worsening medical situation, campaigners say the government has made no direct contact with the hunger strikers.
Justice Minister David Lammy has previously said he was unaware of the protests, a claim supporters dispute, citing growing public attention and the involvement of MPs.
Recall the detainees were arrested over actions targeting an Elbit Systems facility in Filton and the RAF base at Brize Norton. Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms manufacturer and a major supplier to its military.
Supporters argue the prosecutions reflect the UK’s political and military alignment with Israel.
The hunger strikers are demanding bail, arguing they have exceeded the six-month legal limit for pre-trial detention. They are also seeking full disclosure of documents related to their case, including correspondence involving UK and Israeli officials, British police, the attorney general and Elbit Systems.
Recently, a group of UN Special Rapporteurs, including Ben Saul, Irene Khan and Francesca Albanese, expressed concerns for the detainees’ lives and rights. They warned that the strikers face risks including organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias and death.
Experts says the UK government has a heightened duty of care toward hunger strikers, must ensure access to hospital treatment when needed, respect medical ethics and avoid retaliatory measures. They linked the hunger strike to wider restrictions on pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, including the use of counter-terrorism frameworks against protest groups.
They urged authorities to guarantee healthcare, engage with the detainees’ legal claims and end what they described as repression of Palestine-related activism.
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