Bethlehem DCO – Route 60: Monday afternoon, February 16, 2004 Observers: Y Sh and Sh Sh Summary: We were delighted to find that life has returned to its usual intolerable routine. We crossed through Route 60 until Bet Omar. There were no jeeps at the Al-Khadr, Al Arroub and Bet Omar junctions. Etzion DCO – the sewage still stinks. The hut where people wait is neglected, the chairs are filthy and only ten of them are fit for use.Some statistics (based on the waiting list of the Palestinians) – as of 14:00. Over 100 people arrived this morning and registered to wait in line. When we arrived at 13:20, there were 50 people in the hut, mostly men:1. Magnetic cards – around 30 people applied and 30 others have received them.2. Sixteen people managed to file applications and 15 are waiting to present their papers. By 14:00, three people had received permits. Medical cases: three. All received their permits after prolonged waiting.1. A man of 73 – appointment for a hospital in East Jerusalem – received a one-day permit. Arrived at 08:00 and received a permit after 14:00, following our phone call to Beit El.2. A cancer patient who’s being treated at Assouta hospital in Tel-Aviv: also received a permit in the afternoon, after waiting 6 hours. 3. Grandparents from Battir whose three grandchildren are being treated at Sha’arei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem (the parents are working). The grandfather received a one-day permit day and came to share his problems with us. The children are very sick, and there was a very clear letter from Sha’arei Tzedek stating that the grandparents are the caregivers and “It is their discretion when to visit the hospital”. They have been looking after their grandchildren for 10 years, and always received 3-month permits, and more recently for 1 month (the previous permit was for December 18, 2003 – January 27, 2004). Today the soldier decided that one day is good enough. I phoned Beit El – (Dalia was very busy until 14:30). They promised to look into it. Nothing happened. When Dalia finally turned up, she asked us to give Motti (an officer in the DCO) a copy of the letter from Sha’arei Tzedek. On the letter, I wrote a request for a 3-month permit – they didn’t let me hand it over and called the grandfather (a young 55) to do so. Motti was at the window and took the letter. He told the grandfather that he wasn’t giving him a permit “Let the parents take care of it”. Another call to Dalia, and this time I was close to filing a complaint.“The grandparents have been looking after them for 10 years – they’ve had permits for 10 years – so what has changed now?” ,br>Dalia promised to take care of it – she spoke over the walky-talky to Motti, explained the situation, and finally Motti understood he should act differently. It was cold and Sh.Sh. felt ill. We waited to see that the permit would indeed be, and then left. At 16:18, I received a message from the grandfather that the permit had been given and after all the trouble he was thankful…