Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, stated on Tuesday that he lacks power to detain Benjamin Netanyahu yet pressed federal officials to act if the Israeli prime minister arrives in the United States later this year.

"Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people," Mamdani stated in a video shared on social media.

Mamdani expressed support for the international criminal court warrant issued against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes, while noting he holds no legal power to carry it out locally.

"My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the international criminal court arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here," Mamdani said. "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.

"The federal government, however, does - and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," the mayor continued. "And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."

Netanyahu plans to visit New York in September for the UN general assembly meetings.

Mamdani noted last week that he was checking options for a possible arrest during the trip, following a campaign pledge made the prior year.

"I believe that prime minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," Mamdani said, referring to the Dutch city that hosts the international criminal court, which issued the warrant in 2024.

The United States does not accept the ICC authority and is not a member state.

His comments prompted criticism from Donald Trump, who declared Netanyahu "will not be arrested" on American soil.

Trump posted on social media that Netanyahu is "fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran" and "the only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction".

Netanyahu, for his part, indicated he was "not concerned" about the remarks from Mamdani.