Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Thu 4.12.08, Morning

6:45 – 8:15 AM, Bethlehem - Rachel Crossing: upon our arrival, there are 5 booths open, afterwards one closes. There are no queues and the crossing is smooth. A volunteer from the Ecumenical told us that today was a very good day, in comparison to all last week: 2 metal detectors worked, soldiers acted correctly, the lines were ordered, the crossing opened on time. In spite of all this, it took her from 4:30 to 6:10 to get to the Israeli side.

Route 60: a military jeep is seen near Beit Umman. Soldiers are patrolling on the fields on the other side of the route.

Etzion DCL: approximately 60 people are waiting for the DCL to open. Out of the total people, 13 were women. Some time after 8:00 AM, the soldiers arrived and ordered everybody to go outside behind the stones fence and started giving out numbers, first to the women.

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