Lebanese Turtle Champion Mona Khalil Killed in Israeli Strike
18 hours ago
Lebanese environmental activist Mona Khalil, who turned a stretch of the southern coast into one of the Eastern Mediterranean’s most important nesting sites for endangered sea turtles, died after being wounded when her house on Mansouri beach, near the city of Tyre, was struck by an Israeli air raid.
The 76‑year‑old was not able to leave her home during a recent wave of Israeli attacks that intensified across southern Lebanon. Khalil was injured two weeks ago and later died on Friday after several days in hospital, according to a local environmental group.
Her death comes amid a surge of violence in southern Lebanon that has raised concerns about renewed conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to maintain peace. The BBC has reached out to the Israeli military for a response.
A Life Dedicated to Turtles
For more than two decades, Khalil protected endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles that nest along Lebanon’s southern coast. After seeing a green turtle lay eggs on Mansouri beach in 1999, she committed herself to safeguarding the species, eventually returning permanently to Lebanon.
She helped establish the Orange House Project in 2000 – an eco‑tourism and conservation centre overlooking the beach – which grew into a hub for environmental education, wildlife protection and marine research.
Khalil’s work involved extensive monitoring of nesting sites, documenting marine life, and campaigning against coastal development, pollution and destructive fishing practices. Her advocacy led to protected status for parts of the coastline and heightened awareness of marine threats.
Friends and colleagues describe her as a committed activist who, despite the heavy violence in the region, remained steadfast in her mission. Her legacy is expected to endure through the movement she helped build and the generations of turtles that continue to return to Lebanon’s shores.
