An imprisoned Palestine Action activist is currently observing her 48th day of being on hunger strike on Friday, entering a critical stage that has already seen her lose a seventh of her body weight.
20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah is currently held on remand in HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, in connection with Palestine Action-linked offences.
Zuhrah’s hunger strike has entered a "critical period", doctors have warned, which could see her and other Palestine Action strikers suffer from "irreversible damage to their bodies, and even death".
Dr James Smith, an NHS doctor, told UK broadcaster ITV News on Thursday that the "complexity of the hunger strikers’ care needs must now be managed with regular specialist input if not continuous monitoring in hospital".
A friend of Zuhrah’s told Channel 4 that the activist, who’s also a second-year social sciences student at University College London, has entered a "deadly period," and that her body doesn’t have enough fuel to keep her alive, warning that she could experience "sudden death".
The activist was taken to hospital on Wednesday, following a protest at HMP Bronzefield, which was attended by MP Zarah Sultana, urging an ambulance to take her to a medical facility.
The protest, which lasted more than 12 hours, also saw criticism directed at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his deputy, David Lammy, for their inaction concerning the Palestine Action hunger strikers.
The Prisoners for Palestine collective said the prisoner service at Bronzefield initially denied an ambulance entry to the facility.
Zuhrah’s family said that she was left on the floor for 20 hours before an ambulance arrived on Wednesday. She reportedly suffered from chest pains, breathlessness, and abdominal pain, as well as drifting in and out of consciousness before an ambulance arrived at the scene.
The activist has already been admitted to hospital on two previous occasions.
Sultana said on X that Zuhrah’s family confirmed that the 20-year-old is "safe" and is continuing her hunger strike.
Zuhrah has not consumed food since 2 November alongside fellow prisoner Amy Gardiner-Gibson, also known as Amu.
Other activists who have been on a prolonged hunger strike are Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Teuta Hoxha.
Their lawyers have described the hunger strike as the biggest in the UK since the 1981 H-Block strike in Northern Ireland.
Zuhrah has been held since November last year, on charges of breaking into an Elbit Systems factory, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. Zuhrah, among other Palestine Action protesters, is being charged with aggravated burglary, violent disorder, and criminal damage.
Her trial date is set for April 2026, despite the pre-trial custody limit in the UK being six months.
Zuhrah, like the others, has denied the charges brought against her.
The University and College Union (UCU), a trade union for academia-related issues in the UK, expressed grave concern on Zuhrah’s health. In a statement on Thursday, the UCU called for government action concerning the hunger striking Palestine Action activist.
In its statement, the UCU said: "As a union, UCU believes in justice and the right to protest; we want to add our voices to those calling for these prisoners to be bailed and allowed to spend their first Christmas in two years with their families.
"We defend people’s right to protest - and the right to a fair trial - and call on the government to meet with lawyers acting for the prisoners to address their concerns."
Palestine Action hunger strikers are demanding bail, an end to the proscription of Palestine Action, and open communication with their families and lawyers outside prison.
The designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist group in July this year has also triggered waves of protests across the UK.
Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, many of whom held signs in support of the group and denounced the genocide in war-torn Gaza, where over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military campaign since October 2023.