Elite Israeli Soldiers refuse to Serve in Palestinian Territories

A large number of reserve soldiers from Israel's elite intelligence unit announced Friday that they will no longer operate in Palestinian territories.

The soldiers belong to Unit 8200 of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Considered as the equivalent to the National Security Agency of the United States, the unit has sophisticated technology to spy on Palestinians.

The 43 veterans of Unit 8200 announced their decision in a signed letter sent to Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and armed forces chiefs.

"We veterans of Unit 8200, reservists past and present, declare that we refuse to take part in activity against Palestinians and refuse to be tools to deepen the military control in the occupied territories," the soldiers wrote, reports Associated Press.

The soldiers and some officers of the unit claim that some of their intelligence work disrupts the normal lives of Palestinians.

Some of the intelligence measures include collecting information about a person's sexual preference and utilizing it blackmail the person to become a Palestinian spy, the soldiers said in the letter.

The veterans also said that the intelligence work done by the Unit 8200 is not needed for the security of Israel.

Responding to the letter, the IDF said that they had no record of the specific violations mentioned in the letter had ever taken place.

The IDF also said that its mission was to defend Israeli civilians.

"Throughout the training, a special emphasis is placed on morality, ethics, and proper procedure. Soldiers and officers in the unit act in accordance with their training and remain under the strict supervision of high-ranking officers," the IDF said, reports Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, Palestine has hailed the protest by the IDF soldiers.

Palestinian security services' spokesman Adnan Damiri said that Palestine salutes the humanitarian move by the soldiers towards the oppressed people of Palestine, reports Reuters.