Mona Khalil, a prominent Lebanese environmental activist who worked to protect endangered sea turtles from Lebanon's southern coast, died on June 19, 2026, after being critically injured in an Israeli airstrike that struck her home near Tyre on June 4 [1, 2, 3, 4]. She was 76 or 77 years old; sources vary on her exact age, but she was born in 1949 [1, 2, 3, 4].

Khalil’s house in the village of al-Mansouri in Tyre province was hit during an escalation of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon in early June 2026 [1, 3, 4]. She spent several days in hospital before succumbing to her wounds [1, 2, 3, 4]. At least 50 others were reported killed in Israeli attacks on the same day Khalil died [3].

A refugee from the Lebanese civil war, Khalil lived in the Netherlands before returning permanently to Lebanon around 1999. Her dedication to conservation began after a life-changing encounter with a turtle nesting on the beach at al-Mansouri, which inspired her to protect sea turtles and their habitat [1, 2, 3, 4].

She helped establish the Orange House Project in 2000, an eco-tourism and conservation initiative on al-Mansouri beach dedicated to protecting loggerhead and green sea turtles [1, 2, 3, 4]. The project became a small conservation hub attracting volunteers and foreign visitors despite ongoing conflict and local power shortages [1, 2, 4].

Khalil’s work included monitoring turtle nests, campaigning against pollution and destructive fishing practices, and advocating for protection of the coastal environment [1, 2, 3, 4]. Hisham Younes, founder of Green Southerners, described her as "a deeply committed environmental defender" who was "really into conservation, and into the soul, the spirit of conservation" [1]. Khalil herself said in a 2017 interview, "As long as God gives me life, I will continue turtle conservation" [2].

During the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, Khalil initially refused to leave al-Mansouri beach and was only persuaded to evacuate after intervention by the Lebanese army. She was the last to leave the area and longed to return to the Orange House after enduring hardships in Beirut [4].

On June 21, 2026, mourners gathered in Beirut to pay respects and commemorate Khalil’s life and legacy as a beloved environmentalist and activist. Journalist Fadia Joumaa called her death "a loss for all of Lebanon… a loss for the life you guarded so faithfully" [3, 4]. The Live Love Tyre environmental group said, "Her life was selfless and impactful" [3].