New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday urged the US federal government to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The United States government does have the ability to both joining the International Criminal Court and executing that warrant, and that is something that I want to see happen,” Mamdani told reporters.

He made the remarks after asking his administration to review all applicable laws regarding the ICC warrant.

Although his administration lacks the independent authority to enforce the warrant, Mamdani said he believed the federal government could facilitate Netanyahu’s arrest.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Mamdani recently described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and said the Israeli premier was not welcome in New York City.

He also said that, as an American, he believed the US bore responsibility for casualties in the region because its citizens “pay for the bombs that do the killing.”

Mamdani’s call stands in direct contrast to the position of US President Donald Trump, who said Monday that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” while in the US. (AA)

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