Mona Khalil, Lebanon’s turtle advocate, dies after Israeli attack
Key takeaways
- Khalil spent more than two decades protecting the nests of endangered turtle species in southern Lebanon.
- “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.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Khalil spent more than two decades protecting the nests of endangered turtle species in southern Lebanon.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Mona 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 Staff Published 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.