Lebanese turtle advocate Mona Khalil killed in Israeli military operation

Lebanese Marine Ecologist Mona Khalil Dies After Israeli Strike

Mona Khalil, a 77-year-old Lebanese marine ecologist, has died after being severely wounded in an Israeli strike on her home near Tyre last week. According to local reports, Khalil succumbed to her injuries on Friday.

Khalil was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1949 and spent several years abroad before moving to southern Lebanon. In 1999, she encountered a turtle that had emerged from the ocean to lay its eggs on al-Mansouri beach near Tyre, which sparked her lifelong dedication to animal conservation.

Over the next two decades, Khalil worked tirelessly to protect the nesting sites of endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles on Lebanon’s southern coast. She helped establish the Orange House, an eco-tourism project at al-Mansouri beach in 2000, and documented marine life in southern Lebanon. Khalil also advocated for wildlife conservation and against coastal pollution.

Khalil’s death has been met with tributes from environmental groups and individuals who worked closely with her. “You have left us yet you remain within us – we, your children,” said journalist Fadia Joumaa, who volunteered with Khalil. The Israeli escalation of air attacks on southern Lebanon, which killed at least 50 people and injured dozens, has also been reported.

Khalil’s legacy as a marine ecologist will be remembered through her selfless work protecting endangered turtle species in southern Lebanon.

Source: Al Jazeera