Israeli utility rules advance outpost legalization, says rights group

LONDON: Israel has amended planning regulations in the occupied West Bank to allow unauthorized buildings in settlement outposts to receive water and electricity without building permits, a move an Israeli rights group says advances their legalization while deepening discrimination against Palestinians. The amendment, signed on Sept. 23 by Israel’s military commander in the West Bank, eases a requirement that buildings have valid permits before being connected to utilities, according to a statem