NEW YORK CITY Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city, but called on the US federal government to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant against him.

In a video posted to social media early this morning, Mamdani described Netanyahu as “a war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people”, accusing him of responsibility for the deaths of more than 73,000 people in Gaza and the destruction of hospitals, the starvation of civilians and the killing of aid workers and journalists.

Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026

“There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest,” Mamdani said.

“As I’ve said, I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC.”

Mamdani said his administration had examined whether New York City could execute the warrant should Netanyahu travel to the city for the UN General Assembly in September.

“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said.

“The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.”

He added that Netanyahu was “not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large”.

The remarks came days after US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not be arrested if he visited the United States.

“Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form while in the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday, pledging that the Israeli leader would be protected during any visit.

Netanyahu’s office has rejected the ICC allegations and previously described the court as a “kangaroo court”.

ICC warrant

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe they bore responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and has denied the allegations. The United States is also not a member of the ICC.

During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani said he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if he visited New York.

However, after consulting with the city’s law department, he said his administration had concluded it lacked the legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant itself.

The mayor nevertheless urged federal authorities to act.

“While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon, and we can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people,” he said.

Additional reporting from AFP