THE HAGUE: The Palestinian foreign minister is visiting the International Criminal Court to hand prosecutors files detailing possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza and settlement construction in the West Bank and occupied east Jerusalem.

The files being taken to court Wednesday afternoon feed into a preliminary investigation ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is carrying out into possible crimes on Palestinian territory. Bensouda's initial probe aims to establish if there is enough evidence to merit opening a full-scale investigation that could ultimately lead to charges against both Israelis and Palestinians.

The move comes just days after a separate investigation by the United Nations Human Rights Council accused both sides of committing possible war crimes in last summer's Gaza War.

The Palestinian Authority joined the international court this year. Israel is not a member.