New York City has no authority to arrest Netanyahu, Mayor Zohran Mamdani says

New York City lacks the authority to enforce a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on seeking the foreign leader’s arrest, announced Tuesday evening.

Mamdani called on the United States government Tuesday evening to arrest Netanyahu. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister alleging war crimes. The mayor said his administration "has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law" to arrest Netanyahu if he appeared in New York City.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani said in a video statement posted on X. "The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant. And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."

In response to Mamdani's video, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon wrote on X: "Zohran Mamdani, ENOUGH. Enough with the blood libels. Enough with the attacks on Jewish organizations. Enough with the outreach to the Iranian regime. You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda. Do your job!"

Since his campaign, Mamdani has expressed disapproval of the Israeli leader, whom he blamed Tuesday evening for, among other claims, the starvation of "countless" Palestinian people "as he blocked food and humanitarian aid from reaching them."

Underneath "charges" in its arrest warrant for Netanyahu, the ICC wrote: "Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

The Consulate General of Israel in New York did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment late Tuesday.

Mamdani’s Tuesday evening post arrived three days after he said the foreign leader "belongs in The Hague," in an episode of "The New York Times" podcast "The Interview." In a social media post Monday, President Donald Trump said Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America." Trump’s post did not mention Mamdani.

During the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other groups killed about 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, including at least 38 children, according to the Israeli government. Following the attacks, Israel launched a war with Hamas. An air and ground campaign killed 73,250 people, about half of whom were women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants.

Hamas and Israel have accused one another of violating the ceasefire that was reached in October, The Associated Press has reported. Since then, at least 1,127 Palestinians, including at least 260 children, and five Israeli soldiers have been killed.