Mona Khalil, a pillar of Lebanese environmental protection, dies in Israeli strike
A 76‑year‑old conservationist and proud mother of the sea turtles that nest along Lebanon’s southern coast, Mona Khalil, passed away after being wounded in an Israeli air strike on her home in Mansouri beach near the city of Tyre two weeks ago. She had been a key figure in turning that stretch of coastline into one of the Mediterranean’s most important nesting sites for endangered loggerheads and green turtles.
Khalil’s dedication began in 1999 after a life‑changing encounter with a turtle laying eggs on the beach. Living in the Netherlands at the time, she returned to Lebanon to protect its marine life, eventually founding the Orange House Project in 2000—a guesthouse that evolved into an eco‑tourism hub, research centre and educational space that attracts volunteers worldwide.
Her work included meticulous monitoring of nesting sites, documenting marine populations and campaigning against coastal development, pollution and destructive fishing. The conservation movement she built secured protected status for parts of the shoreline and raised broader awareness about the fragility of Lebanon’s marine ecosystems.
Despite the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon and the damage her home sustained in the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Khalil refused to leave the beach she had defended for decades. Friends say she saw the area as a living person—its sunsets, its waters—and believed a non‑violent refuge could not coexist with war.
Her death raises urgent questions about civilian protection amid Israel’s intensified air strikes that have already inflicted heavy losses on local communities. The BBC reached out to the Israeli military for comment, though no response has yet been received.
Legacy and Impact
Colleagues describe Khalil as a “deeply committed environmental defender”, a woman who inspired people to care for turtles as passionately as she cared for their habitat. “She did not only protect turtles; she inspired people to care about them,” said Paul Abi Rached of Terre Liban, recalling his visits with children to release hatchlings on Mansouri beach.
Her story is a testament to the enduring power of local activism, the persistence of civil society, and the personal risks that activists face when geopolitical tensions flare. While her life was tragically cut short, the conservation network she helped create and the generations of turtles that will continue to return to Lebanon’s shores stand as lasting tributes to her legacy.
