Mourners gather to remember Lebanese conservationist killed by Israel

Mourners gathered in Beirut to remember Mona Khalil, a renowned Lebanese turtle conservationist who died from wounds sustained in an Israeli attack. Khalil, 77, was critically injured on June 4 in al-Mansouri, southern Lebanon, and passed away more than two weeks later. For over two decades, she dedicated herself to protecting sea turtles along Lebanon's coastline, particularly at al-Mansouri beach. She co-founded the Orange House Project, a conservation hub and ecotourism site that served as a refuge for endangered turtles and a training ground for volunteers. Khalil, who held Dutch and Lebanese citizenship, was inspired to begin her conservation work in 1999 after encountering a nesting turtle.

Mona Khalil, a 76-year-old Lebanese environmental activist, has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike. Khalil had dedicated over 25 years to protecting endangered sea turtles on Mansouri beach in southern Lebanon, transforming it into a vital nesting site. Her house on the beach was hit two weeks prior to her death during Israeli attacks in the region. She passed away on Friday after several days in hospital, according to a local environmental group. Khalil had reportedly refused to leave the beach she worked to protect. Her death occurs amidst intensified Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon.

Lebanese marine activist Mona Khalil, 76, has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike that hit her home and sanctuary, the Orange House Project, near Tyre. Khalil dedicated decades to protecting a nesting site for loggerhead and green sea turtles along Lebanon’s southern coast, hosting volunteers and tourists to aid in conservation efforts. She returned to her family land in 1999 after living in the Netherlands during the Lebanese civil war and established the sanctuary, facing opposition from some locals and enduring past Israeli bombardments. Her death has been mourned by environmental groups who highlighted her significant contributions to marine conservation and biodiversity protection in Lebanon.

Lebanese marine ecologist Mona Khalil, a dedicated advocate for endangered sea turtles, has died at the age of 77. She succumbed to wounds sustained when an Israeli strike hit her home near Tyre last week. For over two decades, Khalil protected the nesting sites of loggerhead and green sea turtles on Lebanon's southern coast, establishing the Orange House eco-tourism project and documenting marine life. Her work aimed to safeguard these threatened species from dangers like coastal development and pollution. Khalil's passing was announced by the environmental group Live Love Tyre, which remembered her selfless and impactful life dedicated to turtle conservation.