A group of Israeli teenagers have informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they will refuse to serve in the military because of its role in the occupation of Palestinian land.

"The main reason for our refusal is our opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the army," 50 youths wrote in a letter to Netanyahu published Saturday by an Israeli pacifist group.

The youths referred to "human rights violations" in the West Bank, including "executions, settlement construction, administrative detention, torture, collective punishment and unfair distribution of water and electricity."

"Any military service perpetuates the current situation, and therefore we cannot take part in a system that carries out these deeds," read the letter posted on the Facebook page of Yesh Gvul.

Yesh Gvul (There is a limit) describes itself as a "peace group campaigning against the occupation by backing soldiers who refuse duties of a repressive or aggressive nature."

Military service is compulsory in Israel, with men serving three years and women two.

Israel's Netanyahu opposed to settlement freeze
Jerusalem (AFP) March 09, 2014 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is opposed to freezing construction in settlements as a means to extend US-sponsored peace talks with Palestinians.

Such a freeze "would serve nothing," Netanyahu told public radio.

"We imposed one in the past and it brought no results," the premier said of the 10-month construction moratorium he issued during the last round of peace talks with Palestinians that ended in 2010.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has been struggling to get Israel and the Palestinians to agree a framework for extending direct peace talks, launched in July, beyond an April 29 deadline.

But Israel and the Palestinians remain divided on all the major issues, including borders, security, settlements, Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

Starts on new settlement building in the West Bank increased by 123.7 percent last year, according to recently-published data from Israel's statistics bureau.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said that his side would not agree to extend negotiations without Israel releasing further prisoners and halting settlement construction.

According to Netanyahu, who met with Kerry and US President Barack Obama in Washington last week, a framework agreement to extend talks would not necessitate Israeli and Palestinian signatures but rather only by "an American document on American positions".

"I'm not sure the Palestinians will accept it," Netanyahu told public radio of the framework agreement.

Obama is due to meet Abbas on March 17 at the White House.