Hunger strike for 70 days: How the body breaks down without food
Medical estimates put survival without food at 45 to 61 days. Three Palestine Action activists in the UK are now pushing beyond that boundary. Three British activists from the proscribed Palestine Action group are on hunger strike seeking bail and a fair trial, with friends and relatives warning they are close to death but determined to continue until their demands are met. Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed have refused food for 70 and 63 days respectively as part of a rolling hunger strike that began in November. A third prisoner, Lewie Chiaramello, is also refusing food on alternating days due to type 1 diabetes. Five of the eight people who took part in the protest have ended their hunger strikes due to health concerns. They are held in different jails over their alleged involvement in break-ins at the United Kingdom subsidiary of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in Bristol, where equipment was damaged, and at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, where two military aircraft were sprayed with red paint. They deny all charges. The group is demanding: Bail and the right to a fair trial, and the reversal of the UK government’s July designation of Palestine Action as a “terrorist organisation”, placing it alongside ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. Closure in the UK of all Elbit sites, which are facilities operated by Israel’s largest defence company, manufacturing military technology used by the Israeli armed forces and other governments. An end to what they describe as censorship inside prison, including the withholding of mail, phone calls and books. All eight will have spent more than a year in custody without trials, exceeding the UK’s usual six-month pre-trial detention limit. Advertisement What does prolonged hunger do to the body? In the early stages of starvation, after several days without food, the body begins breaking down muscle to produce energy. As the fast continues, metabolism slows down. The body loses its ability to regulate temperature, kidney function deteriorates, and the immune system weakens, reducing the body’s ability to heal from injury. Once the body’s reserves are depleted, it can no longer prioritise nutrients for vital organs. The heart and lungs become less efficient, muscles shrink and profound weakness sets in. Eventually, as protein stores are depleted, and the body begins to break down its own tissues. At this stage, death may be imminent. Scientific research on prolonged starvation is limited due to ethical reasons; however, estimates suggest that a healthy, well-nourished adult could survive without food for between 45 and 61 days, which means the three activists have now reached, or exceeded, that threshold, placing them in extreme, life-threatening danger. International concern Hunger strikes have long been used as an extreme, non-violent form of protest, relying on moral pressure to compel those in power to act. Historical records trace the practice to ancient India and Ireland, where people would fast at the doorstep of someone who had wronged them as a form of public shaming. In modern times, hunger strikes remain powerful political statements, often drawing international attention to cases of imprisonment, injustice or repression, even at the cost of the striker’s life. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners incarcerated without any charges by Israel have resorted to hunger strikes to bring attention to their cases. United Nations experts said hunger strikes are “often a measure of last resort by people who believe their rights to protest and effective remedy have been exhausted”. They added that the state’s duty of care towards hunger strikers is heightened, not diminished, and that authorities must ensure timely access to emergency and hospital care, refrain from pressure or retaliation, and respect medical ethics. Kerry Moscogiuri, director of campaigns and communications at Amnesty International UK, called the situation alarming. She said it was “shocking that these activists have been forced to resort to such desperate measures to bring attention to their plight”, adding that the crisis reflects a “gross misuse of counterterrorism powers”. Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Barcelona vs Real Madrid: El Clasico Supercopa final 2026
blinking-dotLive MatchLive Match, Follow our live build-up with team news coverage before our live text commentary stream of Spain’s Super Cup final. Published On 11 Jan 202611 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Germany’s double standard on peaceful protests
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Germany’s double standard on peaceful protests
PM Modi in Gujarat: Attends Shaurya Yatra , offers prayers at Somnath Temple to mark 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s attack, Check full schedule
PM Modi offered prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after concluding ‘Shaurya yatra’ on Sunday as part of the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ celebrations. He also performed ‘Abhishek’ and ‘Aarti’ at the historic temple and sought the blessings of Lord Somnath amid vedic chants. Moreover, he paid floral tributes to the statues of Veer Hamirji Gohil and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He also interacted with the priests and administration of the sacred shrine. He also met the children from Gurukuls.
Rahul Mamkootathil rape case: Victim shares emotional message after arrest of expelled MLA, says ‘You saw what was done…’
After expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil’s arrest in a fresh sexual assault case, the first survivor shared an emotional post recalling pain, betrayal, and forced abortion allegations. She said faith gave her strength as multiple cases against Mamkootathil continue under legal scrutiny.
Who was Rachna Yadav? 44-year-old woman shot dead outside home in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, was key witness in husband’s murder case
In a shocking case from India’s national capital, Delhi, a woman was shot dead in Shalimar Bagh on Saturday, with police suspecting the killing to be related to the murder of her husband in 2023.
Fire breaks out at flat linked to Premanand Ji Maharaj in Mathura’s Vrindavan, thick smoke triggers panic; cause suspected to be…
A major fire broke out at Shri Krishna Sharanam Society in Vrindavan in a flat linked to saint Premanand Ji Maharaj, likely due to an electrical fault. No injuries were reported, but tensions rose after allegations of misbehaviour by the saint’s attendants toward locals, police, and journalists.
Sacked IAS Puja Khedkar, family drugged, tied with ropes by Nepali house help at Pune Bungalow; mobile, valuables looted
Ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who was accused of faking her ‘disability’ to secure additional UPSC attempts, and reservation, has come into spotlight once again. Khedkar has made allegations that a house help had drugged her and her parents, Dilip and Manorama Khedkar.
Kashmiri man Ahad Sheikh attempted to offer namaz at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, raised slogans; detained; family says, ‘mentally…’
Row erupted after a Kashmiri man allegedly attempted to offer namaz inside Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. The UP police has detained the man, identified as Ahad Sheikh, who is also alleged to raise slogans, when security officers tried to stop him.
MGNREGA Bachao Sangram: Security beefs up outside PM Modi’s public outreach office in Varanasi ahead of NSUI’s march
The party has announced the launch of the first phase of its 45-day ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ across all states, districts, blocks, and gram panchayats. On January 3, Venugopal said the CWC had finalised the future strategy on MGNREGA and approved a structured campaign titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram.