Mona Khalil, aged 76, a dedicated protector of Lebanon’s endangered sea‑turtles, has died after injuries inflicted by an Israeli strike on her home in Mansouri beach, north of Tyre.
Her house was hit in a series of Israeli air raids on southern Lebanon two weeks ago. The local environmental group reported that Khalil succumbed to her wounds after several days in hospital.
Khalil’s work, which began in 1999 after she witnessed a loggerhead‑turtle laying eggs on Mansouri beach, was pivotal in establishing the beach as one of the eastern Mediterranean’s most important nesting sites. In 2000 she helped found the Orange House Project, an eco‑tourism and conservation hub that grew from a modest guesthouse into a centre for wildlife protection, marine research and environmental education.
She spent over 25 years monitoring nests, documenting marine life, and campaigning against coastal development, pollution and destructive fishing. Her efforts secured protected status for parts of the coastline and raised awareness of marine threats in Lebanon.
"She was a deeply committed defender of the environment," said Hisham Younes, founder and president of Green Southerners. "She treated the beach like a person, bonding with the sun, the sea and the turtles. Her passion was both for nature and for people."
Khalil had previously endured damage to her home during the 2006 Israel‑Hezbollah war but refused to leave, believing as a civilian she was safe. She barricaded herself inside for the duration of the recent strikes, telling local media she would not be displaced.
Her legacy, it is said, lives on through the conservation movement she helped build and the generations of turtles that keep returning to the shores of Lebanon. Friends and colleagues echoed that she inspired people to care for the turtles and the environment alike.
Video and further coverage can be accessed through the BBC’s report on Israeli‑occupied southern Lebanon.
