Israel Approves Connecting Illegal Outposts to Utilities Without Permits

The Israeli military has approved an amendment to the building and planning law in the occupied West Bank, allowing buildings constructed without permits in settlement outposts to be connected to water and electricity networks even before their legalization plans are approved. The amendment was signed by the commander of the Israeli army's Central Region on September 23, 2026. The association "Bimkom, Planning, Human Rights" stated that this move further legitimizes settlement outposts on the ground and deepens discrimination between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank.

Previously, the law required a building permit to connect any structure to water and electricity. The new amendment exempts buildings erected before February 12, 2023, on public land or private land with owner consent, provided they are in locations the Israeli Civil Administration intends to legalize and their future plans are deemed approvable. This exemption is granted for three years, extendable, allowing unlicensed buildings to be connected to utilities for years without approved building plans or guarantees of future approval.

According to "Bimkom," the amendment is part of a government policy initiated in February 2023 to legalize unlicensed settlement outposts. The current Israeli government has announced the establishment of 104 new settlements in the West Bank, with 48 of them resulting from the legalization of existing outposts. Dozens more outposts have been designated for legalization as neighborhoods of existing settlements.

Despite years of these procedures, few plans have been approved. Many outposts receive government support and have demolition and evacuation orders frozen before their legalization plans are finalized. The amendment highlights increased discrimination in Israeli planning and building policies in Area C, which constitutes about 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control for planning and construction.

While the amendment could theoretically apply to unlicensed Palestinian structures, the Israeli Civil Administration systematically rejects planning for Palestinian communities, some of which have existed for decades. In contrast, settlement outposts receive expedited utility connections, while many Palestinian communities rely on solar panels and water tanks, which Israeli authorities sometimes confiscate, and live under constant threat of home demolition.

"Bimkom" confirmed that connecting outposts to infrastructure had already begun before the amendment. A regional council meeting on March 22, 2026, noted the "Ma'oz Tzur" outpost was connected to infrastructure despite the land not being declared public and administrative boundaries not being set for a planned new settlement. Assaf Be'er from "Bimkom" stated, "Israel continues to deepen discrimination between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank. It facilitates settlers' access to water, electricity, and public services for unlicensed buildings, even before their construction plans are approved. Conversely, it deprives Palestinians of building permits and basic infrastructure, leaving them under constant threat of home demolition. This amendment enshrines two different systems for planning and building in the West Bank: one that grants settlers facilities and paves the way for legalizing illegal construction, and another that denies Palestinians the possibility of legal construction and expansion."