Zohran Mamdani, Democratic leader and candidate for New York City Mayor, has strongly criticized the BBC’s reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict, accusing the outlet of biased language. "Why does the BBC use terms like ‘Iran-backed Houthis’ or ‘Hamas-controlled hospitals’ but not ‘US-backed IDF’ or ‘accused war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu’?" Mamdani questioned. An outspoken critic of Israeli aggression, Mamdani also referenced the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu and called for his arrest if he visits New York. He emphasized protecting all civilian lives and pledged to increase the budget for combating hate crimes.