UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has called on Israel to end its "unacceptable" blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Fernandez-Taranco, who was speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, said that Israel's Monday attack on peace activists on a flotilla of ships off the coast of Gaza would not have happened without the blockade.

He was speaking in proxy for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, DPA reported.

The UN official also called for a thorough investigation into the Israeli military assault on the ships.

Fernandez-Taranco stated that the incident happened when all efforts should be focusing on confidence-building and on promoting talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

The UN Security Council started an emergency meeting on Monday after Turkey called for a meeting on the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla.

The Israeli navy attacked the Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza, in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea early on Monday, killing at least 20 people on board the six ships, mostly Turkish nationals.

About 50 others were injured, according to Palestinian sources.

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Moreover, the UN Security Council has condemned today 1^st of June Israel's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, demanding the immediate release of the ships and the civilians onboard.

The Security Council condemned "those acts which resulted in the loss of at least 10 civilians and many wounded," AFP quoted a statement by the Council's President.

The UN body further called for the immediate release of all ships and civilians held by Israel, urging an impartial investigation into the Israeli attack against the aid flotilla.

"The Security Council took note of the statement of the UN Secretary General on the need to have a full investigation into the matter and it calls for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards," the statement said.

The 15-nation body started an emergency session on Monday after Turkey called for a meeting on the Israeli attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

The Israeli navy launched a pre-dawn attack on the six-ship aid convoy, which was carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza, in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, 150km (90 miles) from Gaza.

The operation killed at least 20 people on board the ships, mostly Turkish nationals, and left about 50 others injured, according to Palestinian sources.