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Tensions soared at City Hall on Tuesday over a nonbinding resolution calling for the condemnation of the Israeli military's deadly raid on a flotilla headed for Gaza.

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The legislation, sponsored by Supervisors John Avalos and Sophie Maxwell, has more than two dozen "whereas" clauses.

It attempts to localize the attack that took place a half-a-world away by noting San Francisco's "recognition and understanding of our population's unique relationship to international struggles and the overall principle that human life, whether here or abroad, has value and dignity."

After more than four hours of public testimony that lasted until nearly midnight, the Board of Supervisors didn't vote on the resolution. Instead, the supervisors sent it to committee, where critics hoped it would die.

Although the legislation carries no legal weight, it took on an importance in the world of public relations, providing a forum for the contentious Israeli-Palestinian debate to be heard. Both sides flooded the supervisors with e-mails, phone calls and personal visits.

Avalos acknowledged that there are "so many different realities, so many different sides," but was not ready to back down from the legislation he helped draft.

"I've been told that this resolution is divisive," he said. "But really it acknowledges the disproportionate power the state of Israel has to create a blockade and enforce it on the high seas, even to the extent of attacking civilians in the dead of night."

San Francisco moved a step closer Tuesday to becoming the first city in the nation to require that retailers post in their stores notices on the level of radiation emitted by the cell phones they offer.

The Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to give preliminary approval to the proposal. Final approval is expected next week. Supervisor Sean Elsbernd was the lone vote in opposition. Mayor Gavin Newsom, an early proponent of the legislation, plans to sign it into law when it reaches his desk.

Cast by backers as a pro-consumer measure, the ordinance would not ban the sale of certain cell phones but would require retailers to provide the "specific absorption rate" - a measurement of radiation registered with the Federal Communications Commission - next to phones displayed in their shops. Consumers also would be notified about where they can get more educational materials.

"This is about helping people make informed choices," said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, chief sponsor of the legislation.