Mona Khalil, Lebanon’s turtle advocate, dies after Israeli attack

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftIsrael attacks LebanonIsrael bombs LebanonWhat is Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle?Has Hezbollah been weakened?Why is Israel attacking Nabatieh?caret-rightNews|EnvironmentMona Khalil, Lebanon’s turtle advocate, dies after Israeli attackKhalil spent more than two decades protecting the nests of endangered turtle species in southern Lebanon. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoMona Khalil and colleagues are seen on their way to release baby sea turtles into the sea at a seashore in al-Mansouri village, near the southern city of Tyre, Lebanon, July 29, 2018 [Jamal Saidi/Reuters]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026Lebanese marine ecologist Mona Khalil, who was severely wounded after an Israeli strike hit her home near Tyre last week, has died, according to local reports. Khalil, 77, succumbed to her wounds on Friday, the same day Israel escalated air attacks on southern Lebanon, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens despite the risk posed to a fragile peace deal between Iran and the United States. “It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Mona Khalil today,” environmental group Live Love Tyre said in a Facebook statement on Friday. “She will be remembered through an incredible legacy. Through it all, Mona chose to stay and care for the turtles of Live Love Tyre. Her life was selfless and impactful.” Khalil was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1949. She spent several years abroad before moving to southern Lebanon. A fleeting encounter with a turtle which had emerged from the ocean to lay its eggs on al-Mansouri beach near Tyre in 1999 propelled her on a lifelong journey devoted to animals. She went on to dedicate decades to protecting the nesting sites of endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles on Lebanon’s southern coast. Both species are highly threatened by coastal development, plastic pollution, fishing nets, and light pollution and are at risk of becoming extinct in the eastern Mediterranean. In 2000, Khalil helped establish the Orange House, an eco-tourism project situated at al-Mansouri beach. She also helped document marine life in southern Lebanon and advocated for wildlife and against the pollution of Lebanon’s coastline. “You have left us yet you remain within us – we, your children,” journalist and volunteer Fadia Joumaa, who worked closely with Khalil, said in a tribute shared on Facebook. Khalil’s death “is a loss for all of Lebanon… not just for us. A loss for the life you guarded so faithfully,” she said. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: