Three prisoners linked to Palestine Action ended a prolonged hunger strike after the British government decided against awarding a multi-billion-pound military contract to the UK arm of Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems. Four others who had paused their strike agreed not to restart it.
HebaMuraisi ended her hunger strike after 73 days, Kamran Ahmed after 66 days;LewieChiaramello, who lives with Type 1 Diabetes, had followed an alternate day hunger strike for 46 days. All seven members connected to the Filton 24 group have now begun re-feeding under medical guidance.
The prisoners have remained in custody for over a year under terrorism related charges without trial. Authorities accuse them of causing one million pounds in damage to an Elbit factory in Bristol. The first phase of the Filton trial has begun alongside a judicial review involving Palestine Action.
The group stated that Elbit Systems lost a two-billion-pound contract linked to training 60,000 British troops annually. Since 2012, the company has secured over 10 public contracts. Campaigners view the latest decision as a direct outcome of sustained protest.
The hunger strike was the longest coordinated action of its kind in Britain, lasting 73 days in total. Activists said the protest drew attention to the presence of political prisoners and Britain’s military ties with Israel. They criticised the Labour government for failing to address core demands.