Bethlehem, Ezion Tuesday, 16/8/2004 Observers: Noa Y., Littal Y. (reporting) We drove first to the Ezion DCO where we spent most of the time.When we arrived, some 30 people were standing in the heat close to the door. The fans were not on. We asked the soldier on the roof why, and he answered: “Because nobody asked me to put them on.” So we did. The water cooler wasn’t working either and we heard many complaints about it, but unfortunately, in this case we couldn’t help.When we arrived 3 windows + the police one were open, but just before 16:00 the police window was shut, though there were still about 5-6 people waiting for him. Noa managed to persuade M. to take care of one more, but that was all. He complained that he was all alone, and closed the window so that he could complete the necessary paper work for those who had reached the window. At 18:30, when we were already in Bethlehem, he called Noa’s cell phone to report that he was still working. One woman and her son had a letter from Hadassah hospital stating that the husband was due for a heart surgery tomorrow and they request to let them visit him. She was told at the window that she must apply at the Hebron DCO (although she showed us her ID according to which she lived in Bethlehem.) We called Dahlia Bassa who said Mo. was on his way and would take care of her. Mo. indeed arrived but told us that despite her ID, she is still registered somewhere (?) in Hebron and must apply there. Noa pleaded with him, since it was late in the afternoon and there was no way the woman would get the permit in time for tomorrow. In the end, he succumbed. We thanked him for it.3 detainees told us they were arrested in Beit Furiq at 8:00 , their IDs confiscated, and they were still waiting for the GSS interrogator. We made some inquiries, but learnt that they were “heavy” suspects and there was nothing we could do to hasten it or help them in any way.On the way back we passed by El Khader which was bustling with taxis. One of the drivers told us that at the container there was a very long line, with cars reaching the bottom of the wadi. There was no MachsomWatch shift there and it was already too late for us to go there.We went to Beit Jalla CP – waiting from the Bethlehem side took about 15 minutes, but traffic flowed reasonably.We passed by Bethlehem CP – no pedestrians and very little traffic.We left towards 19:00.