New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said late Tuesday that the city cannot execute an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he urged the federal government to step in and do so instead. In a video posted on X, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a war criminal and said he is not welcome in New York City. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said. “The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.”

Mamdani had told the New York Times earlier this month that he and the city’s legal department were discussing the possibility of arresting Netanyahu if he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Throughout his mayoral campaign last year, Mamdani repeatedly pledged to direct the city’s police force to arrest Netanyahu under the ICC warrant over his role in the war in Gaza. But after his administration reviewed all available legal avenues, it became clear the city lacked the authority to carry out such an arrest on its own.

President Donald Trump weighed in on Monday, telling Netanyahu in a social media post that he “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” The post did not directly mention Mamdani but appeared aimed at quieting the debate swirling around the mayor’s earlier comments.

Mamdani remained defiant in his video message despite the limitations. “I want to be equally clear,” he said. “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.” The response from Israeli officials was swift. Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., fired back at the mayor on social media, saying “enough” and accusing him of serving Hamas propaganda rather than New Yorkers. “Do your job!” Danon wrote.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in 2024, accusing them of crimes against humanity connected to the war in Gaza. The court said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had used starvation as a method of warfare by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas — charges that Israeli officials have consistently denied.