Pro-Palestine hunger-striker ends protest amid medical crisis, vows to keep 'resisting'

Pro-Palestine activist Umer Khalid ended his 17-day hunger strike after his key demands were met, vowing to keep speaking out despite being taken to the hospital due to suffering from multiple organ failures.

Khalid, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, is now facing renal failure and liver failure, with low blood pressure and high creatine kinase levels, suggesting signs of imminent cardiac arrest.

Khalid was arrested in connection with the demonstration at RAF Brize Norton in June 2025, making him part of the Brize Norton 5, to which the activists pleaded not guilty in January.

Prisoners 4 Palestine (P4P) revealed Khalid had met with the prison governor of HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Amy Frost, to discuss his prison conditions this week.

The activist has now received his mail and clothes, reports say, which were previously withheld, and is now allowed visits, which were limited after being held on remand in July 2025.

Sharing a statement with P4P, Umer said there were two reasons why he decided to end his hunger and thirst strike.

"The first is that I am too strong, too loud, too powerful, and we as a collective are also too strong, too powerful, and there is so much we can do to affect change," Khalid said.

"They have shown without a doubt that they have no concern for our lives, and they do not care if we die in these cells," Khalid says, explaining his second reason.

"If David Lammy wishes to see me dead, if Keir Starmer wishes to see me dead, they can come and do it themselves," he continued.

"Until then we keep fighting, we keep resisting, and what I've seen over this past weekend from myself and from all of you, is that the muqawamah (resistance) will always, always live on no matter what happens to any of us".

This came as 86 protesters were arrested on Sunday after breaching the grounds of HMP Wormwood prison in support of Khalid.

The activist had previously been on hunger strike for 12 days in December 2025 before being unwell and unable to walk. P4P says the prison managed to refeed him by giving him protein shakes and biscuits, which is "highly dangerous".

After a short pause, Khalid resumed his hunger strike in January, then began to abstain from drinking on 23 January, over the UK government's continuing refusal to have a meeting.

The activist faces charges of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place and will be tried in 2027.