A LETTER was delivered to the Home Office yesterday, informing it of a forthcoming hunger-strike by pro-Palestine prisoners held in British jails.
The prisoners are members of the Filton 24 and Brize Norton 5, respectively, and are being held in prison, unconvicted, accused of taking part in two separate actions, claimed by the currently proscribed group, Palestine Action.
The Filton 24 are a group of activists who have all been imprisoned in relation to a Palestine Action raid on the Research, Development, and Manufacturing Hub of Israel’s biggest weapons maker Elbit Systems, located at Filton, Bristol.
In the action, which took place in August 2024, a group of activists drove a modified prison van through the facility’s perimeter fence, and on through the shuttered entrance.
Six activists then entered the building, and began dismantling production machinery, as well as Elbit-produced quadcopter drones, which have been used throughout the Gaza Genocide.
The six were arrested at the site, but later, while in police custody, they were re-arrested under counter-terrorism legislation, which allowed the authorities to extend their detention period. They were later charged with non-terror offences, and remanded in custody.
Over the following months, in a series of dawn raids, a further 18 activists were arrested, often along with family members, who were later released. The police again used counter-terror laws, and while they have never been charged with terrorist offences, the prosecution have alleged a ‘terrorism connection’.
All have been denied bail, and been subject to various abuses by the prison authorities, such as the withholding of mail. The treatment of the Filton 24 has been widely condemned, not least by the United Nations.
With some of these prisoners now having spent over a year in custody, without trial, and with their treatment having deteriorated following the proscription of Palestine Action, they feel they have no option, but to go on hunger-strike to fight for fairer treatment.
They will start their hunger strike on 2nd November, Balfour Day, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, and just two weeks before the start of the first of the three Filton 24 trials.
The hunger-strike aims to highlight the conditions of the prisoners’ incarceration, and set out a series of demands to the British government. These include the right to a fair trial, release on bail, and the dropping of all terror-related charges.
Two previously imprisoned activists, Francesca Nadin and Audrey Corno, who are now part of the Prisoners for Palestine collective, who advocate for the prisoners and their supporters, handed the letter announcing the protest to the Home Office yesterday.
They stated: ‘This is a historic moment. The government must make the correct decision and give the prisoners the basic legal rights that they have been denied. The government has left the prisoners with no other option but to hunger strike for their freedom and justice.
‘The prisoners are firm in the knowledge that they have massive support both here and internationally, and that the people will come together to take action in their name. This is a direct result of not only the government’s appalling actions towards the prisoners, but also their active participation in the genocide in Gaza.’
Dr Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE International, who are also negotiating partners for the hunger strikers alongside Prisoners for Palestine, said: ‘This hunger strike, if it goes ahead, will be the first of its kind in at least two decades.
‘It brings into sharp focus the violence of the carceral system in the UK, a violence we often associate with places afar. From Guantánamo to Gaza, the infrastructure of authoritarian terror laws built to imprison, silence, and suppress action for Palestine and voices challenging wars and genocide must be dismantled.
‘Prisoners are the beating heart of our movement for justice. We must honour their sacrifices and stand up to challenge the injustices they face.’
There are currently 33 prisoners being held on remand in British prisons for Palestine-related actions.
ISRAEL BREAKS THE CEASEFIRE 80 TIMES
THREE Palestinian civilians were killed yesterday morning after being shot by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) east of Gaza City, marking yet another violation of the ceasefire, one day after a deadly Israeli escalation that left 45 Palestinians dead and dozens wounded.
An ambulance crew evacuated the bodies of two who were shot by Israeli snipers while attempting to check on their homes in Gaza City’s al-Sha’af street.
Shortly afterward, a third civilian was shot dead in the east of Gaza City.
The bodies of Shama Abu Raida and her two children, Salah and Mira, were recovered following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Abu Sa’ada family’s home yesterday in the Armida area of Bani Suheila town, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army struck the eastern parts of Khan Younis, and drones could be heard overhead.
Meanwhile, trucks are still waiting for Israeli permission to cross into Gaza.
Several military checkpoints are blocking their entry, and these trucks are packed with various humanitarian supplies, including urgently needed food parcels.
The number of trucks allowed in so far remains very low and does not meet the requirements set by United Nations agencies.
The Gaza Government Media Office said yesterday that Israeli attacks have killed at least 97 Palestinians since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10.
It has documented 80 breaches of the ceasefire, which it said constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
‘These practices reflect the occupation’s continued aggressive approach, its clear desire for escalation on the ground, and its constant thirst for blood and killing.’
- The Hamas armed wing Qassam Brigades said yesterday that it would hand over the body of another captive at 8.00pm last night, having exhumed it on Sunday. This is the 13th captive body returned to Israel since the ceasefire took effect on October 10.
- Israeli Minister for National Security issued a statement on social media yesterday, saying: ‘Now that we have received the hostages we must return to war and open the gates of hell in Gaza.’
