A new hunger strike crisis is unfolding within the UK's prison system, echoing the fatal protests of the 1980s. Four individuals, held on remand for over a year without trial in connection with protests for Palestine Action, are now refusing food, with two having passed the critical 50-day mark.
The Ticking Physiological Clock
Medical experts are sounding the alarm, stating the protesters have entered a perilous and unpredictable phase. Dr James Smith, an A&E doctor and epidemiologist at UCL who is supporting the strikers, told Metro that their bodies are now breaking themselves down. "The reality is that they are in a physiological state where the body is breaking itself down, and there is an unpredictability to this," he said.
He highlighted two major concerns: the risk of the heart "very quickly" going into fatal arrhythmias or progressive failure, and critical deficiencies in essential micronutrients like thiamine (Vitamin B1). Thiamine is crucial for processing energy, and its depletion can cause irreversible brain and nervous system damage. "We're in that territory now," Dr Smith warned.
The Grim Timeline of Starvation
Historian Ian Miller, who studies hunger strikes in British prisons, outlined the typical physiological progression:
- Days 1-7: Heart rate decreases, physical wasting begins as the body consumes fat reserves.
- Days 8-14: The body uses glycogen stores from the liver and muscles. Weight loss slows, heart mass decreases leading to a slower beat, and ammonia production creates a distinctive smell.
- Days 15 onwards: Tendency to collapse, becoming bedbound. Severe nightmares and disturbed sleep are common, with significant worsening of physical and psychological health.
- Around 20-70 days: A state of complete exhaustion, often with consciousness maintained until around day 50.
- Over 70 days: This appears to be the rough survival limit without any medical intervention or food, as seen with Terence MacSwiney, who died in 1920 after 74 days.
Dr Smith drew a parallel with acute anorexia, where fatal electrolyte changes can be sudden. "Most, if not, all of the hunger strikers now are in that phase... Something tragic could happen at any time." He emphasised that even survivors risk long-term, irreversible damage to kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart, and musculature.
The Prisoners and Their Demands
The four continuing their total hunger strikes are:
- Heba Muraisi (HMP New Hall): Day 50.
- Amu Gib (HMP Bronzefield): Day 52.
- Teuta Hoxha (HMP Peterborough): Day 45.
- Kamran Ahmed (HMP Pentonville): Day 44.
They are accused of offences related to a raid on an Israeli arms manufacturer's facility in Filton, Bristol, in August 2024, or, in Amu Gib's case, a break-in at RAF Brize Norton in June 2025. A fifth striker, Qesser Zuhrah, ended her strike after 48 days following hospitalisation with severe chest pains.
Their demands include immediate bail for all co-accused, the removal of Palestine Action from the list of proscribed terror organisations, and an end to UK government financial support for Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Historical Echoes and Legal Action
The situation evokes the 1981 Irish republican hunger strikes, where ten prisoners, including Bobby Sands who survived 66 days, starved to death. Miller noted that historical force-feeding, used on Suffragettes, is now disfavoured. The long-term health impacts on survivors of the IRA strikes were severe, with many suffering lifelong conditions and dying young.
A legal firm representing the current strikers has submitted a pre-action letter to Justice Secretary David Lammy, alleging the government is abandoning its prison safety policies. The Prison Service maintains it is "very experienced" in handling hunger strikes, with over 200 annually, and has robust systems in place, refusing to meet with the prisoners or their representatives.
As the days without food accumulate, the medical warnings grow starker, raising urgent questions about duty of care and the potential for a tragic outcome reminiscent of past decades.
