NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged Tuesday that he lacks the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over an International Criminal Court warrant, a limitation that legal experts told Al-Monitor stems from US law and international agreements. Nonetheless, they said the episode could reinforce the growing diplomatic isolation surrounding the Israeli leader.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who took office in January, said in a video address Tuesday night, "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," referring to the ICC warrant against Netanyahu. 

Mamdani referred to Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and called on the federal government to execute the warrant, while declaring the prime minister is "not welcome" in the city. 

Mamdani had told The New York Times on Saturday that his legal department was engaged in an “active conversation” about whether the law allows him to order the arrest of Netanyahu based on the ICC warrant. The mayor, who is a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and critic of Israel’s actions in the region, pledged during his campaign last year to arrest Netanyahu, citing the ICC warrant.