Mona Khalil, one of Lebanon’s most prominent marine conservationists and a long-time advocate for endangered sea turtles, has died following injuries sustained in an Israeli air-strike that struck her home in the coastal village of Al-Mansouri near Tyre.
Khalil, 76, was founder in 1999 of the Orange House Project, a conservation initiative to protect nesting populations of loggerhead and green turtles along Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast.
Her eco-tourism B&B developed into a hub for environmental education, scientific monitoring and volunteer-led beach conservation.
According to reports, the Israeli strike hit Khalil’s beachfront home on 4 June, critically injuring her and also wounding her Ethiopian assistant, who was later said to be recovering. Khalil underwent surgery and was transferred to Beirut for treatment but died from her wounds on 19 June.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Lebanese family, Khalil spent many years in the Netherlands after leaving Lebanon during its 1975-’90 civil war. She returned to her family’s property in Mansouri in 1999 and her subsequent career was inspired by seeing a turtle nesting on the beach,
Former volunteers described Mansouri’s “guardian of the turtles” as a maternal figure whose commitment to wildlife protection did not waver despite war, political instability and personal risk. She also became known for running a successful campaign against dynamite fishing.
Lebanese conservation group Green Southerners condemned the attack, describing her as a pioneering environmental defender.
“Through the Orange House, she inspired generations of Lebanese to value and protect their natural heritage and coastal ecosystems,” it stated. “Her work made her one of Lebanon’s most respected voices for marine conservation and biodiversity protection.
“The strike targeted a site that had long been known for environmental conservation, biodiversity protection and public awareness. Her death stands as a stark reminder of the devastating toll that Israeli attacks continue to exact on civilians, environmental defenders and the natural heritage they sought to protect.”
The Israel Defence Forces stated that Khalil “was not a target of the IDF” and that there was “no known IDF strike in which she was injured”, according to reporting by AP. It said that operations had been conducted in the area after evacuation warnings had been issued and said that it “deeply regrets any harm caused to civilians”.
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