Mona Khalil, a 76‑year‑old firefighter of Lebanon’s marine wildlife, was killed in an Israeli strike on her home at Mansouri beach near Tyre.
The attack, part of a surge of air raids in southern Lebanon, hit Khalil’s house, leaving her wounded. She was hospitalized, but she died on Friday after days of treatment, local environmental groups confirmed.
Khalil’s work turned a stretch of coastline into a critical nesting site for endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles, protecting the area from destructive fishing and coastal development. She established the Orange House project in 2000, an eco‑tourism and conservation hub that drew visitors worldwide.
Her legacy, according to friends, is the movement she built and the generations of turtles that continue to return to Lebanon. The BBC has reached out to the Israeli military for a response.
The incident comes amid escalating violence, as Israeli air strikes intensify across southern Lebanon. It highlights the vulnerability of civilians and crucial environmental sites in the conflict zone.
