Lebanese turtle conservationist Mona Khalil killed by Israeli strike
Mona Khalil, who had run sea turtle conservation work on Lebanon's southern coast for 30 years, was killed when an Israeli air strike hit her home. The BBC reported that the strike took place during what was meant to be a ceasefire declared about two months ago. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah-linked infrastructure.
Reporting from its Beirut bureau, the BBC said Mona Khalil, who lived in the village of Mansouri near Sidon in southern Lebanon, was killed when an Israeli air strike hit her home. Khalil had run Mediterranean sea turtle conservation work for two critical species since the 1990s.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said six more civilians were killed in the same strike and 12 were wounded. The BBC stressed that the strike happened during the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire mediated by the US two months ago. The Israeli Defence Forces said the target was "Hezbollah-linked infrastructure". Hezbollah denied having any infrastructure presence at the location.
The Orange House Foundation that Khalil established in 1999 has helped more than 4,000 sea turtle eggs hatch over the past three years. WWF Mediterranean said Khalil's death had set back the long-term conservation strategy for the region's species. The UN has called for an investigation into the ceasefire violations.
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