The Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) " Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki has arrived at the International Criminal Court to call on prosecutors there to open an immediate investigation into Israel's settlements in the Palestinian territories.

According to a Palestinian statement, the so-called "referral" that Malki is handing to the court's prosecutors on Tuesday underscores "that there is sufficient compelling evidence of the ongoing commission of grave crimes to warrant an immediate investigation."

Malki was accompanied by a police escort and ushered into the ICC where he was met with staffers at the door. He didn't say anything upon entering.

The ICC has been conducting a preliminary probe since 2015 into alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories, including Israel's settlement policy and crimes allegedly committed by both sides in the 2014 Gaza conflict.