In a significant development for pro-Palestinian activism in the United Kingdom, three protesters have finally ended a gruelling hunger strike that lasted for 73 days. The activists, identified as Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi, and Lewie Chiaramello, resumed eating on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
The End of a Protracted Protest
According to the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine, the strike was called off after the UK government allegedly met their core demand. The group claims the state denied Israeli-based defence company Elbit Systems a massive £2 billion contract. The trio were among the last remaining hunger strikers from a group who began the action while awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in Palestine Action raids and incidents of criminal damage.
The protest took a severe physical toll, particularly on 28-year-old Kamran Ahmed from east London. Last week, he was reportedly at "imminent risk of death" due to the prolonged lack of food and had to be transferred to a hospital for urgent care. Their decision to end the strike leaves Umer Khalid as the sole remaining hunger striker, as stated on the campaigners' website.
A Wider Movement and Legal Context
This development follows the decision of four other strikers—Teuta Hoxha, Jon Cink, Qesser Zuhrah, and Amu Gib—to start re-feeding within the last month. All were part of a group of eight detainees held on remand. They face charges relating to break-ins and criminal damage, primarily at an Elbit Systems site in August 2024 and another action at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in June of the previous year.
The context of their protest is charged. Palestine Action was recently banned under terrorism legislation, making membership a criminal offence. This controversial move has faced widespread criticism and is currently being challenged in the High Court, with a ruling expected later.
Voices from the Struggle and Looking Ahead
Prisoners for Palestine also reported that national leaders of prison healthcare met with representatives of the hunger-striking prisoners last Friday to discuss prison conditions and treatment. For the activists, the end of the strike is a moment of victory. Lewie Chiaramello declared, "It is definitely a time for celebration. A time to rejoice and to embrace our joy as revolution and as liberation."
He added, "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." The physical ordeal was described vividly by Heba Muraisi, a lifeguard and florist of Yemeni heritage. A friend revealed that in the final days, she could no longer feel hunger. Muraisi herself said, "Physically, I am deteriorating as the days go by. I no longer feel hunger, I feel pain... mentally I’ve never been stronger, more determined and sure."
Despite the end of this particular strike, the campaign group signals that the fight is far from over. In a statement, Prisoners for Palestine said, "While these prisoners end their hunger strike, the resistance has just begun. Banning a group and imprisoning our comrades has backfired on the British state, direct action is alive and the people will drive Elbit out of Britain for good." The hunger strike, which began on November 2, has seen several other participants hospitalised due to its severe effects.
