New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and accused him of committing atrocities against the Palestinian people, saying he should face arrest and trial under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

In a video message released Tuesday local time, Mamdani alleged that Netanyahu bears responsibility for the deaths of more than 73,000 people and the maiming of thousands of children in Gaza.

He claimed that children who survived Israeli attacks have undergone amputations without anesthesia and accused Israeli forces of targeting maternity hospitals and neonatal care units, depriving newborns of a chance to survive.

Mamdani said Netanyahu would not be welcomed if he travels to New York to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

He said the city administration had examined every legal avenue available under applicable laws to determine whether New York City could enforce the ICC arrest warrant issued against the Israeli leader.

The mayor further accused Netanyahu of obstructing the entry of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza, alleging that the blockade had left countless people facing starvation. He also claimed that hundreds of aid workers and journalists had been killed during the conflict.

Referring to recent UN findings, Mamdani said Palestinian children continue to be deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli armed forces, despite the passage of more than eight months since the so-called ceasefire. He added that the list of child casualties continues to grow.

Expressing support for the ICC's position, Mamdani said Netanyahu should be arrested and tried just like any other individual facing ICC charges.

However, he acknowledged that New York City does not have the independent legal authority to execute an ICC arrest warrant and called on the US federal government to take the necessary action.

The upcoming UN General Assembly session in September will be the first since Mamdani assumed office as New York City mayor in January. In recent days, the Muslim mayor has repeatedly reiterated his hardline stance regarding Netanyahu's possible visit to New York.