Mona Khalil, Lebanese turtle advocate, dies after Israeli attack | Environmental Issues

Khalil spent more than two decades protecting the nests of endangered turtles in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese environmentalist Mona Khalil, who was seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike on her home near Tire last week, has died, according to local reports.

Khalil, 77, was wounded on Friday, the same day Israel stepped up airstrikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens despite threats of a peace deal between Iran and the United States.

“It is with great sadness that we mourn the death of Mona Khalil today,” the environmental group Live Love Tire said in a Facebook statement on Friday.

“She will be remembered for an amazing legacy. Through it all, Mona chose to stay and care for Live Love Tire turtles. Her life was dedicated and fulfilling.”

A life of attraction

Khalil was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1949. He spent several years abroad before moving to southern Lebanon.

A brief encounter with a turtle that came out of the sea to lay its eggs at al-Mansouri beach near Tire in 1999 inspired him on a lifelong journey of dedication to animals.

He has devoted many years to protecting the nests of endangered sea turtles and green sea turtles on the south coast of Lebanon.

Both species are highly vulnerable to coastal development, plastic pollution, fishing nets, and light pollution and are at risk of extinction in the eastern Mediterranean.

In 2000, Khalil helped establish the Orange House, an ecotourism project located on al-Mansouri beach. He also helped to document the marine life of southern Lebanon and to promote the wildlife and pollution of the Lebanese coast.

“You left us and yet you still live inside us – us, your children,” journalist and volunteer Fadia Joumaa, who worked with Khalil, said in a tribute on Facebook.

Khalil’s death “is a loss for all of Lebanon … not just for us. The loss of a life that you faithfully defended,” he said.