Burak Bir
15 January 2026•Update: 15 January 2026
LONDON
Three pro-Palestine prisoners, affiliated with the Palestine Action group, ended their hunger strike on Wednesday after the government opted against giving a contract to an Israeli arms company subsidiary, according to media reports.
Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello announced the decision to end the hunger strikes as Elbit Systems UK failed to win a £2 billion ($2.6 billion) government contract.
There has been growing fear for the welfare of the protesters as Muraisi, 31, would have been on day 73 of refusing food; Ahmed, 28, who would have been on day 66; and Chiaramello, 22, who has type 1 diabetes, would have been on day 46, The Guardian reported.
Prisoners for Palestine said Wednesday the decision not to grant the contract, under which it would have trained 60,000 British troops a year, fulfilled a key demand.
Umar Khalid, 22, who resumed his hunger strike Saturday after previously pausing it, is continuing to refuse food, according to The Guardian.
Last month, UN experts urged the UK to protect the lives and rights of eight pro-Palestinian detainees linked to the banned group, Palestine Action, who had been on a hunger strike.
They also raised concerns about the treatment of hunger strikers in detention, citing delayed medical care, excessive restraints during hospitalization, denial of family and legal contact and insufficient independent medical oversight.
Labour Party lawmaker John McDonnell said the hunger strikers have also secured meetings with prison officials about their health and conditions, following the news.
"I pay tribute to the dedication of the hunger strikers," he said on the US social media company X.
Palestine Action was banned in July under the Terrorism Act after members of the group entered a Royal Air Force base and spray painted two aircraft, causing £7 million ($9.44 million) in damage, according to police. Hundreds of pro-Palestine activists have since been arrested across the UK.
