A Lebanese environmentalist dedicated to protecting endangered sea turtles was killed in an Israeli airstrike this week, adding a tragic layer to the conflict's toll on civilians and nature. Nadim al-Khoury, 54, had spent decades rehabilitating turtles on the coast near Tyre. He was struck while monitoring nests during a bombardment that also destroyed critical marine habitats.
Conservation groups say the attack underscores how war devastates ecosystems already fragile from pollution and climate change. Al-Khoury's colleagues mourn a man who 'lived for the turtles' but now lies among the debris of a conflict that shows no quarter. The Israeli military did not comment on the specific strike, but said it targets only military assets.
For those on the ground, the loss of a single conservationist is a blow to Lebanon's environmental future. The 'real economy' of nature pays no price for war. Only people like Nadim do.