Three Palestine Action activists have ended a 73-day hunger strike in a UK prison after campaigners said the government denied a £2 billion (€2.3 billion) contract to Israeli-based defence firm Elbit Systems — a development the activists’ supporters described as a key demand of the protest.
Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello began re-feeding yesterday, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said. The organisation, which has coordinated updates from supporters of the detainees, said Umer Khalid remains on hunger strike.
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The activists are in custody awaiting trial on charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage carried out on behalf of Palestine Action before the group was banned under terrorism legislation. They deny the charges and have called for them to be dropped.
Prisoners for Palestine claimed the government’s reported decision to deny Elbit Systems the contract marked a significant breakthrough for the campaign. The government has not publicly confirmed the claim. The Press Association has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment.
“While these prisoners end their hunger strike, the resistance has just begun,” Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement on its website, adding that “direct action is alive and the people will drive Elbit out of Britain for good.”
Chiaramello, one of the prisoners who ended his strike, said it was “a time for celebration,” adding: “We do this because of Palestine, because we’ve been inspired, because we’ve been empowered to take action and to try to realise our dreams for a free Palestine, for an emancipated world.”
Prisoners for Palestine said that, alongside the three who ended their strike yesterday, supporters identified as Teuta Hoxha, Jon Cink, Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib “have now all begun re-feeding in accordance with health guidelines.” The campaign said several prisoners have been taken to hospital since the action began on Nov. 2.
Elbit Systems, headquartered in Israel, has been a frequent target of Palestine Action campaigns. The group’s actions and the subsequent ban under terrorism legislation have sparked debate over the line between disruptive protest and criminal activity, as well as the oversight of defence procurement and the UK’s security relationships with foreign firms.
The reported government decision on the contract could not be independently verified, and it was not immediately clear which department or programme the award concerned. In the UK, defence procurement decisions are typically handled by the Ministry of Defence, with oversight from the Treasury and Parliament.
The case underscores the growing use of hunger strikes by activists seeking to force policy shifts or draw public attention to prolonged legal proceedings. Re-feeding after lengthy hunger strikes is medically sensitive, and campaigners said those ending their strike are following clinical guidance.
Prisoners for Palestine framed the decision to end the strikes by several detainees as a tactical pivot rather than an end to their campaign: “Banning a group and imprisoning our comrades has backfired on the British state,” the group said.
Further court dates for the detainees were not immediately available. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment on the conditions of the prisoners and the handling of the hunger strike. Elbit Systems did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the reported contract decision.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
