Israel has placed the number of deaths at nine, while organizers of the flotilla said the number was higher.

In a statement adopted by the 15 member nations after an emergency session, the council requested the immediate release of the seized ships that made up the flotilla, as well as the civilians who were taken into custody following the raid.

It urged Israel for consular access so countries whose citizens were passengers of the convoy could retrieve their dead and wounded.

And it called for a "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent" investigation into the incident.

The council also said it was gravely concerned at the situation in Gaza, which it called "not sustainable." It stressed the need for regular flow of goods into the territory.

The council began its emergency session Monday afternoon at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss how to respond to the fatal raid.

The Israeli raid immediately sparked widespread protests across the globe.