Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Friday called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government he has described as "genocidal" in its war in Gaza.
The outspoken leftist leader last week announced his country was severing diplomatic ties with Israel over its offensive in Gaza.
"Netanyahu will not stop the genocide. That implies an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court," Petro wrote on X on Friday.
He added that the UN Security Council "must begin to consider the establishment of a peacekeeping force in the territory of Gaza."
Colombia has joined Bolivia, Belize and South Africa in severing or suspending ties with Israel. Several other countries have recalled diplomats.
Israel responded to the severing of diplomatic ties by describing Petro as "anti-Semitic and hateful," saying his stance amounted to handing a reward to Hamas.
The war in Gaza broke out after the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. That assault resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
Hamas militants also took about 250 hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 Israel says are presumed dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,943 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Last week Netanyahu said on X that the ICC was "contemplating issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials as war criminals."
"This would be an outrage of historic proportions," he said.
The ICC is the world's only independent court set up to probe the gravest offenses by individual suspects, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It has previously issued warrants for national leaders -- most recently Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
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