On 14 January 2026, three of the Prisoners for Palestine — Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmad and Lewie C. — announced that they were ending their hunger strike (as they approached imminent death), following the announcement by the British government that Elbit Systems had been denied a £2 billion army training contract with the Ministry of Defence, after widespread reporting that Elbit would receive the contract. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes the Prisoners for Palestine and all of the hunger strikers on this important achievement and upon their sacrifice in the struggle for Palestinian liberation.
At the same time, Umer Khalid, another Prisoner for Palestine and one of the Brize Norton 5, has resumed his hunger strike. He has been repeatedly held in solitary confinement and denied his religious rights, while being held on remand for a trial that is not scheduled until January 2027. Umer says, “We must now continue to crush the protective skull of Zionism, which is the UK’s political and military support, under the weight of our collective mobilisation and action. Are you on the outside afraid of consequences when this life is so short? So let them keep us here as long as they want, because you can’t imprison resistance and you can’t kill a revolution. Liberation is a promise and victory is coming insha’Allah.” Umer previously conducted a hunger strike from 4-16 December 2025. It is urgent that we continue to support Umer Khalid and all of the prisoners for Palestine in British and other imperialist jails, imprisoned as part and parcel of imperialist complicity with Zionist genocide in Palestine.
STATEMENT – PRISONERS 4 PALESTINE – 14 JANUARY 2026
After 73 days of hunger strikes which began on Balfour Day, 2 November 2025, as some prisoners are facing imminent death, Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie have ended their hunger strikes.
The decision to end their hunger strikes came as it was revealed that Elbit Systems UK was denied a vital £2 billion army training contract with the Ministry of Defence, a key demand of the hunger strikers.
The contract, which would have seen Elbit Systems provide training to the British Army over ten years, was lost despite the best efforts of officials in both the Ministry of Defence and the British Army, who it was revealed had been colluding with both Elbit Systems UK and its parent company Elbit Systems in backroom meetings and ‘tours’ to the capital of Palestine, Jerusalem, in a desperate attempt to further entrench their genocidal alliance and help them win the contract.
The abrupt cancellation of this deal is a resounding victory for the hunger strikers, who resisted with their incarcerated bodies in order to shed light on the role of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, in the colonization and occupation of Palestine. Since 2012, Elbit has won 25 public contracts in the UK totaling more than £333 million; the loss of this £2 billion contract marks a significant shift in this sordid “strategic alliance.” With this victory, it has never been clearer that Elbit’s days in Britain are numbered.
In addition to this key demand being met, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate the various victories achieved throughout the duration of the hunger strike:
In the past few weeks alone, hundreds of people have signed up to take action against the genocidal military-industrial complex, more than the number of people who took action with Palestine Action over its five-year campaign. During that five-year campaign, Israeli weapons factories were shut down. Elbit Systems is living on stolen time—we will see it shut down for good, not because of the government, but because of the people.
Heba Muraisi’s transfer to HMP Bronzefield has been accepted by HMP New Hall, where she is currently being held in intentional isolation from her family and friends.
T. Hoxha has been offered a meeting with the head of JEXU (Joint Extremism Unit) at her prison, the very same organization that orchestrates the prisoners’ treatment as ‘terrorists’.
Despite the cruel and constant medical neglect of the hunger strikers, including not logging food refusals, refusal of ambulances in life-threatening emergencies, and degrading treatment in hospitals, the national heads of prison healthcare have met with us at the behest of the Ministry of Justice.
During the hunger strike, some of the prisoners started receiving bulk packages of withelped mail, and in one case received an apology from prison staff for a letter that was delayed by six months. Books on topics of Gaza and feminism have also been given after months of waiting.
In pursuit of a fair trial, the hunger strikers demanded disclosure of export licenses for the last 5 years from Elbit Systems. After repeated requests, this information was disclosed to an independent researcher by the Department of Trade during the hunger strike.
The continued printing of the blood will remain on the stain on Britain’s facade of being a “democratic” country, with no sliver of law and order.
This pathetic and cowardly British government cannot resist authoritarianism; it uses fear to deter rightful protest and dissent, echoing the use of administrative detention against the Palestinian people.
The hunger strike has cemented this fact to the country, and across the world: Britain has political prisoners in service of a foreign genocidal regime. In a time of worsening political repression and widespread propaganda about a non-existent ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza, the hunger strike stands as a testament to continued defiance.
The hunger strikers have allowed those of us who were fearful of state repression to be brave—to go out once again onto the streets and fight for justice. The government should know they cannot ban a concept. Cowardly banning one group cannot stop a belief, a movement, a people. This is only the start of our collective fight to free us all, and the road to freedom runs through Palestine.
At the end of his hunger strike, on Elbit losing the £2 billion contract, Lewie said:
It is definitely a time for celebration. A time to rejoice and to embrace our joy as revolution and as liberation… We do this because of Palestine, because we’ve been inspired, because we’ve been tempted to take action and to try to realize our dreams for a free Palestine, for an emancipated world.
As these victories are declared, we turn our efforts and attention to Umer Khalid, the last remaining hunger striker, who continues to use his body as a weapon against the state in pursuit of justice.
Discover more from Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
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