Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shortened his upcoming visit to New York to hours and will not stay overnight after receiving security warnings, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
Channel 13 said security officials recommended against extending Netanyahu's stay in the US following discussions in recent days, some of which the prime minister attended.
The "intelligence picture" presented during the discussions included specific warnings that prompted the recommendation to shorten the trip, it said, without disclosing the nature of the warnings.
Netanyahu is expected to leave Israel late Wednesday, arrive in New York early Thursday, address the 81st UN General Assembly and return to Israel later that day without staying overnight.
His visit comes amid expectations of protests in New York because of Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip and violations in the occupied West Bank.
The visit also comes one day after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and an "architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinians."
Mamdani previously urged US federal authorities to enforce the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Netanyahu, while acknowledging that New York City authorities lack the legal power to carry it out.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
