UK Hunger Strikers Hospitalized as Protest Over Israeli Arms Firm Nears Critical Point

Two UK activists from the pro-Palestine group Palestine Action have been hospitalized after a hunger strike of nearly 50 days, raising fears of fatalities as they protest an Israeli arms firm and their prison conditions.

Two British activists on a prolonged hunger strike have been hospitalized, escalating fears they could die in prison as their protest against an Israeli defense firm and their own detention conditions enters a critical phase. The development marks a dangerous turn in the standoff between the activists and the UK government, which recently designated their group a terrorist organization.

Kamran Ahmed, 28, was taken to a hospital on Saturday from London's Pentonville prison, his sister, Shahmina Alam, told Al Jazeera. Amu Gib, 30, who has refused food for 50 days at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, was hospitalized on Friday, according to the Prisoners for Palestine group and their friend, Nida Jafri.

Ahmed and Gib are among six detainees held on remand over their alleged involvement in break-ins at a UK subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems and a Royal Air Force base. They deny the charges against them, which include burglary and violent disorder.

"It’s day 42 [of Ahmed’s hunger strike], and at this point, there’s significant risk of organ damage," said his sister. She noted he has been losing up to half a kilogram (1.1 lbs) a day, with his last recorded weight at 60kg (132 lbs), down from 74kg (163 lbs) upon entering prison. This is Ahmed's third hospitalization since the strike began.

The Strikers' Demands and Government's Stance

The activists are demanding immediate bail, a fair trial, and the reversal of the UK government's July decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terror” group, a label it shares with organizations like ISIL (ISIS). They also allege censorship in prison and call for the closure of all Elbit sites in the UK. The six are expected to be held for over a year before their trials, well beyond the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit.

Gib, who uses the pronoun they, has lost more than 10kg (22 lbs). Their lawyers state most of their health indicators are below the normal range, which is "highly concerning" for their immune system. According to their friend, Gib was denied proper medical attention on day 47 of their strike after prison staff allegedly refused to provide and push a wheelchair for a doctor's appointment.

The protest is considered the largest coordinated hunger strike in UK prisons since the 1981 Irish hunger strikes led by Bobby Sands. Despite calls from hundreds of doctors and dozens of MPs for Justice Secretary David Lammy to intervene, the government has so far remained silent on the matter.

Critics, including academics, accuse the UK media of largely ignoring the protest. "In contrast to the robust media coverage of the Irish hunger strikes in the 1980s, the Palestine Action hunger strikes have been largely met with media silence," wrote Bart Cammaerts, a professor at the London School of Economics. "What will it take for the British media to pay attention...? The death of an activist?"

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