Palestine Action Hunger Striker Hospitalised as Government Ignores Crisis

The British state's callous disregard for human dignity has reached a new low as Palestine Action activist Qesser Zuhrah was finally transferred to hospital after 46 days on hunger strike, following desperate calls from protesters and MPs for urgent medical intervention.

Ms Zuhrah, just 20 years old, is among eight prisoners on hunger strike while being held on remand for their courageous acts of solidarity with the Palestinian people. These activists face charges for alleged break-ins and criminal damage targeting sites complicit in Israeli apartheid.

The scenes outside HMP Bronzefield prison, where protesters gathered demanding immediate medical care for Ms Zuhrah, expose the brutal reality of Britain's prison system. Only sustained public pressure forced authorities to act before it was too late.

Cross-Party Pressure Mounts on Government

Earlier this week, 51 MPs and peers, including progressive voices like Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, and 19 Labour MPs, wrote urgently to Justice Secretary David Lammy demanding he meet with the hunger strikers' lawyers.

The letter painted a harrowing picture of deteriorating health conditions: "pulse above 100 beats per minute, ketone levels above 4, weight loss of more than 10kg, deteriorating vision, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, hypoglycaemia, shallow breath, and signs of memory loss."

Five of the eight hunger strikers have already required multiple hospitalisations, yet the government continues to ignore their plight.

Starmer's Cold Response

During Prime Minister's Questions, Keir Starmer offered nothing but bureaucratic indifference when challenged by Jeremy Corbyn about the crisis. "Rules and procedures are being followed," Starmer claimed, as if human lives were mere administrative matters.

This response epitomises Labour's abandonment of its progressive values since taking power. While activists risk their lives defending Palestinian rights, the party leadership hides behind procedure and protocol.

Labour MP Apsana Begum courageously spoke truth to power in the Commons: "Lives are at immediate risk." She reminded her colleagues that these are remand prisoners, not convicted criminals, who retain fundamental rights to humane treatment and medical care.

Solidarity in Action

The Palestine Action hunger strike represents the finest tradition of Irish and international solidarity with oppressed peoples. These activists, like the hunger strikers of 1981, understand that sometimes the most powerful weapon against injustice is the human body itself.

Their sacrifice exposes Britain's complicity in Israeli war crimes and the hypocrisy of a justice system that criminalises conscience while protecting corporate interests.

As we witness this unfolding crisis, we must ask ourselves: what kind of society allows young people to starve themselves in prison for standing up to genocide? The answer reveals uncomfortable truths about British democracy and its selective application of human rights.

The immediate priority must be ensuring proper medical care for all hunger strikers and addressing their legitimate concerns about prison conditions. Beyond that, we need a fundamental reckoning with Britain's role in Palestinian suffering and the criminalisation of solidarity activism.