EU foreign ministers met in Copenhagen on Saturday and unanimously urged the United States to reconsider its recent decision to deny entry visas to Palestinian officials.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Friday that it was denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The meeting also discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, but participants were deeply divided on whether to impose further sanctions on Israel.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said at a press conference that while member states generally agree on the seriousness of the situation, no consensus was reached on specific measures.

The Danish foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who chaired the meeting, said that an increasing number of member states believe that it is unlikely that Israel will change course without stronger pressure.

Demonstrators gathered outside the meeting venue, urging Denmark and the EU to take more decisive action regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

CMG