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London, January 14, 2026 – A planned £2 billion contract with Israeli arms company Elbit Systems UK has been scrapped, prompting an end to a hunger strike by three prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action. The decision, announced late Wednesday, fulfills a key demand of the protesters, who had been risking their lives to oppose the deal.
Hunger Strike Ends as UK Ministry of Defense Reconsiders Arms Deal
Protesters halted a weeks-long hunger strike after the government decided against awarding a major training contract to Elbit Systems UK.
- Three prisoners have ended their hunger strike following the Ministry of Defence’s decision.
- The contract would have seen Elbit Systems UK train 60,000 British troops annually.
- Prisoners for Palestine reports a surge in direct action pledges following the protest.
- concerns grew for the health of the strikers, with one nearing the length of a historic Irish hunger strike.
The protest centered on a £2 billion contract to provide Elbit systems UK with a training program for 60,000 British troops annually. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated the decision to reconsider the contract was made after a “thorough review” and “in light of recent developments.”
The hunger strike, which lasted for several weeks, was led by fatima Muraisi, 36, and Amu Gib, 28. Muraisi and Gib, and er zuhrah, who had previously paused their strikes, are also ending their protest.
Prisoners for Palestine reported a notable increase in support for direct action, with 500 people signing up in recent weeks-surpassing the total number of participants in Palestine Action’s five-year campaign, which resulted in the closure of four israeli weapons factories. “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,” the group stated.
Beyond the contract cancellation, the hunger strikers secured other concessions. Muraisi’s transfer back to HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, after being moved to HMP New Hall in Wakefield hundreds of miles from her family, has been approved. Hoxha has also been offered a meeting with the head of the joint extremism unit at her prison, a unit the group alleges “orchestrates the prisoners’ treatment as ‘terrorists’.”
The group also highlighted improvements in prisoners’ communication rights, reporting the receipt of previously withheld mail, including an apology for a six-month delay, and access to books on Gaza and feminism after months of waiting.
however, one prisoner, Umar Khalid, 22, resumed his hunger strike on Saturday after a previous pause and continues to refuse food.
“We have never trusted the government with our lives, and we will not start now. We will be the ones to decide how we give our lives to justice and liberation,” said Amu Gib, reflecting the group’s continued distrust.
Prisoners for Palestine characterized the hunger strike as “a landmark moment of pure defiance, an embarrassment for the British state,” exposing what they claim is the existence of political prisoners held in support of a “foreign genocidal regime.”