Three British activists affiliated with the proscribed Palestine Action group are currently engaged in a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment and demand a fair trial, raising concerns about their deteriorating health. Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed have refused food for 70 and 63 days, respectively, as part of a rolling hunger strike that began in November, while Lewie Chiaramello, who has type 1 diabetes, is refusing food on alternating days.

The activists are demanding bail and the reversal of the UK's designation of Palestine Action as a "terrorist organisation." Friends and relatives have expressed fears that the hunger strikers are nearing death but remain determined to continue until their demands are met. The activists are being held in different jails in connection with alleged break-ins at the United Kingdom subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in Bristol, where equipment was damaged, and at a Royal Air Force base.

Hunger strikes are a historically significant form of protest, employed globally by individuals and groups seeking political change or highlighting perceived injustices. From Mahatma Gandhi's use of fasting during the Indian independence movement to Irish Republican prisoners protesting their treatment in British prisons in the 1980s, hunger strikes have served as a powerful, albeit risky, tool for drawing attention to specific grievances and exerting pressure on authorities. The ethical complexities surrounding hunger strikes, particularly when undertaken by prisoners, often involve debates about the state's responsibility to preserve life versus respecting an individual's autonomy and right to protest.

Palestine Action is a direct action group that advocates for the dismantling of Elbit Systems, arguing that the company's technology is used in human rights abuses against Palestinians. The group has staged numerous protests and actions targeting Elbit Systems facilities and other entities they accuse of complicity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, a move that has been condemned by some human rights groups and activists who argue that it stifles legitimate protest and unfairly criminalizes advocacy for Palestinian rights.

Five of the eight individuals who initially participated in the hunger strike have ceased their protest due to health complications. The current status of Muraisi, Ahmed, and Chiaramello remains precarious, with supporters continuing to call for their release and a reassessment of the charges against them. Legal proceedings are ongoing, and the activists' health is being closely monitored by prison authorities.