New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged that the city lacks the authority to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“It is absolutely clear that we do not have independent legal authority to enforce this warrant [of the International Criminal Court]. Nevertheless, the federal government does have such authority, and I urge it to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” Mamdani said in a video posted on X.

Earlier, the New York mayor had stated that the city’s law department was examining options for arresting Netanyahu under the ICC warrant should he visit to take part in the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in September. In response, US President Donald Trump emphasized that no one would be able to detain Netanyahu in any form during his trips to the United States.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel and the United States do not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.