Alleged evidence of Israeli war crimes was taken to the International Criminal Court by Palestinian officials, including descriptions of military operations throughout the occupied territories and in particular last year’s war in Gaza, killings of civilians, illegal settlements and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Xavier Abu Eid, a spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said Palestinians had struggled for years in international forums to reach the International Criminal Court, the New York Times reported.

“Whoever says that the Palestinians are trying to politicise the ICC are in fact trying to deny the Palestinians a very basic right to justice,” he said. “We are showing our seriousness to support a preliminary investigation that has already started.”

Chief prosecutor at The Hague, Fatou Bensouda said she would look at the documents "very carefully" to assist her inquiry she began in January to establish whether enough evidence existed for a criminal case.

Ms Besouda was asked about the illegal settlements, an issue that has not yet come before the court in other cases, and responded, “The settlements will definitely be part of this examination phase.”

Israeli spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon, described the Palestinians’ latest move as a “provocation and an attempt to manipulate the ICC.”

”We hope that the prosecutor won’t fall into the trap,” he said.