A young woman on a hunger strike in a British prison in solidarity with Palestine has now entered a potentially fatal stage of starvation, her friend has urgently warned.
The Critical Stage of Starvation
Qesser Zuhrah, a 20-year-old prisoner, has reached day 48 without food. Her friend, Ella Moulsdale, 22, confirmed that Zuhrah collapsed recently and has entered what is medically described as a "deadly period". Moulsdale explained that any day beyond day 35 without food is considered a final and severe stage where the body begins to consume its own vital tissues.
"It eats critical organs and tissues including the heart, which is increasingly worrying seeing how high her heart rate was yesterday," Moulsdale told Channel 4 News. "Her body is clearly working overtime and it doesn't have enough fuel to keep her alive." She added a stark warning: "Any day after day 40 you can experience sudden death so there would be no warnings."
Longest Hunger Strike Since the IRA
Zuhrah is one of six prisoners currently refusing food in UK jails. The group includes Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello. With some participants reaching day 48, this protest now represents the longest sustained hunger strike in the UK since the 1981 IRA protests. In that historic episode, ten men died, including Bobby Sands after 66 days without political resolution.
The prisoners' core demands are directed at the British Government. They are calling for:
- Immediate bail.
- The guarantee of fair trials.
- The closure of UK sites operated by the Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems.
Moulsdale stressed the simplicity of the demands, stating, "They're asking the British Government to uphold international and national law... This is what they've been forced into."
Mounting Pressure and Official Response
The situation is becoming increasingly critical. According to reports from Middle East Eye, Zuhrah alerted staff at HMP Bronzefield on December 16 to severe chest pains, abdominal pain, and breathlessness, reportedly asking, "Can you ring an ambulance? I’m scared."
Their legal representatives, Imran Khan and Partners, have issued a direct warning to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, cautioning that "young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence." Public figures, including musicians from bands like The Pogues and Kneecap, have joined calls for government intervention.
However, the Ministry of Justice has maintained its position, describing the protest as "unacceptable" and asserting that prisoner health is being managed in line with established policy. As the hours pass, the medical "point of no return" draws nearer for the strikers.
The Mirror approached David Lammy, Wes Streeting, and Keir Starmer for comment but received no response prior to publication.
