Report from Middle East Online has it that Libya protested Wednesday before the UN Security Council over Israel's prevention of one of its cargo ships from offloading aid in Gaza.

Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi told an emergency council session that Israel was guilty of "piracy in the high seas," and called for "effective action that will ensure compliance of Israel with international humanitarian law and the law of the seas".

His complaints, however, failed to elicit a formal condemnation of Monday's actions by Israel, which needed unanimous consensus by the council's 14 members -- Libya is one of the 15-strong council's 10 rotating members.

Israeli warships on Monday prevented a Libyan cargo vessel, the Al-Marwa, from reaching the Gaza Strip with 3,000 tons of humanitarian aid for the impoverished Palestinian territory, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since June 2007.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev, invited to speak at the council meeting even though her country is not a member, rejected Libya's accusations, especially the piracy contention, and in turn charged Tripoli with provocation.

She said that since Libya does not recognize the state of Israel, the interception was justified on grounds of national security.

The Libyan aid shipment is the first effort by an Arab state to circumvent the blockade of Gaza.

An official in Tripoli said the crew of the Al-Mawra will have no option but to return to Libya, since the aid cannot be unloaded in Gaza.

US Deputy Permanent Representative Alejandro Wolff also rejected Libya's arguments during the debate and deemed it "absurd to assert Israel committed an act of piracy" since not a single shot was fired nor was the Libyan ship boarded.

Several council members used the debate to voice their concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and deplore the Israeli blockade of the region.

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