Palestine Action protesters begin hunger strike over Israeli policies

Four activists from the Palestine Action group remain on hunger strike in UK prisons.

The four individuals, aged between 20 and 31, are being held in various prisons across the country. They were arrested in November 2024 for alleged involvement in break-ins at a UK subsidiary of Elbit Systems in Filton near Bristol, where equipment was reportedly damaged, and at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, where two military aircraft were sprayed with red paint.

The prisoners deny the charges against them, which include burglary and violent disorder. The four still on hunger strikes have been imprisoned since November 2024 for their alleged involvement in these incidents.

One of the individuals has been in prison since July 2025 for alleged involvement in damage at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire. Palestine Action, a protest group launched in July 2020, describes itself as a movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.

The UK parliament voted in favour of proscribing the group on July 2, 2025, classifying it as a “terrorist” organisation. The ban has been challenged in court, with over 1,600 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action made in the three months following its introduction.

The four hunger strikers have five key demands: immediate bail, the right to a fair trial, ending censorship of their communications, de-proscribing Palestine Action, and shutting down Elbit Systems. The UK government has acknowledged that the prisoners are continuing with their hunger strikes, which have lasted for over 50 days.

Heba Muraisi, one of the four individuals on hunger strike, is being held in HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She was transferred to this prison from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey in October 2025, and has expressed concerns about her medical treatment and separation from her support network.

The hunger strikers’ demands have been met with a statement from Muraisi, who said: “I’ve been forced to endure medical negligence and being separated from my family and support network.”

Source: Al Jazeera