Beirut mourners gather to remember Lebanese turtle conservationist Mona Khalil
Hundreds gathered in Beirut for a memorial service for internationally recognised turtle conservationist Mona Khalil, killed in an Israeli strike on the Lebanese village of Mansouri. Khalil had worked for 30 years through the Orange House Foundation to protect the Mediterranean sea turtle population. UNESCO and WWF have called for an international investigation into her death.
According to memorial details reported by Al Jazeera, hundreds from Lebanese and international environmental conservation communities attended the service at St. George Maronite Cathedral in Beirut on Sunday. Mona Khalil was killed on June 13 in an Israel Defense Forces strike on the village of Mansouri in southern Lebanon.
Khalil, 70, had worked for 30 years through her founding Orange House Foundation to protect Mediterranean green and loggerhead turtle species along the Lebanese coast. The foundation had enabled 12,000 hatchlings to emerge from the protected beach over the past seven years. IUCN said her work was decisive in a 35 percent increase in the regional turtle population.
According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, six other civilians were killed and 12 wounded in the same strike. The Israel Defense Forces statement said the strike targeted Hezbollah infrastructure; Hezbollah denied any military presence in the area. UNESCO, WWF and IUCN in a joint statement called for an international independent investigation into the death. The Lebanese government sent a formal letter to the UN Secretary-General.
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