Mourners gathered in Beirut on Sunday to honor Mona Khalil, a prominent Lebanese conservationist who died after being critically injured in an Israeli strike on her home earlier this month. Khalil, 76, was known for her two decades of work protecting endangered sea turtles along Lebanon’s southern coastline.

Khalil was severely wounded on June 4 when an Israeli military strike hit her residence in the village of Mansouri, located in the Tyre province. She was transported to the hospital with her domestic worker, but despite initial signs of recovery following surgery, Khalil passed away on Friday due to her injuries. The exact target of the strike remains unclear.

The Israeli military stated that Khalil was not a specific target of their operations. A spokesperson said there were "no known IDF strikes in which she was injured” but acknowledged that strikes occurred in the area after the military had issued evacuation warnings. The statement expressed regret for any civilian harm and reaffirmed the IDF’s commitment to conducting operations in accordance with international law.

Khalil, who held both Lebanese and Dutch citizenship and had previously lived in the Netherlands, had chosen to remain in Lebanon despite ongoing conflict. She had returned to Mansouri to revive her grandmother’s home, transforming it into “the Orange House,” a small conservation center and ecotourism site dedicated to the protection of loggerhead and green sea turtles. The Orange House also served as a training base for volunteers who monitored turtle nesting activity along the coast and offered seasonal hatchling viewings for visitors.

Volunteers and environmentalists who worked closely with Khalil expressed deep sorrow over her death. Journalist and activist Fadia Jomaa, who began collaborating with Khalil in 2016, described her as a maternal figure to many in the conservation community. Jomaa noted Khalil’s determination to stay in Mansouri during previous periods of conflict, including the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, only leaving after persuasion by the Lebanese army.

Johnny Baaklini, a former volunteer, called Khalil’s passing “a great loss for conservation, for the country, and for all of us who cared about the sea and the natural heritage of Lebanon.” Both he and Jomaa highlighted Khalil’s personal impact on young environmentalists and her dedication to protecting Lebanon’s coastal ecosystem.

Khalil’s conservation efforts focused on a narrow stretch of beach at Al-Mansouri, where she and volunteers patrolled nightly during nesting seasons to safeguard turtle nests from human disturbance and coastal light pollution. Her commitment extended beyond scientific work as she fostered community awareness and education through ecotourism and hands-on volunteer involvement.

In conversations before her death, Khalil told associates she wished to remain closely tied to the land she treasured. Jomaa recalled Khalil saying, “My soul will stay here,” as she pointed to the olive trees and hills overlooking the beach—a place she expressed a desire to be buried.