Protesters holding signs labelling Israel’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant a war criminal and chanting “shame!” have surrounded the Park Lane Hotel in New York’s Manhattan, where he is staying, Al Jazeera reports.

Gallant, who was removed from his post by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a controversial move in November, is currently in New York visiting with the city’s Jewish community in advance of meetings with senior Biden officials in Washington.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Gallant, along with Netanyahu and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif.

The White House, however, has said it “fundamentally rejects” the validity of the warrants and Gallant will not face arrest in the US, Al Jazeera notes.