Qalandiya, Tue 7.2.12, Morning
(Chana S. translating)
It has been like this all week ..the state lacks the money to add another soldier or two .. we need only 4 more soldiers, to begin at 4 a.m.
…although this is repeated thousands of times, there has to be an officer present here from 5.00! and if IDF itself has decided there should be a officer from 5.00, why does he arrive only at 6.00?
5.45 A cold morning, about 400 people waiting at the three carousels, another 50 at the humanitarian gate. Scores sit on the benches, having despaired of the crush in the lines. Inside only 3 checking positions are open – there about 100 people are waiting.
Already from the parking lot we hear hundreds of men shouting terribly. These are the men who have been waiting in lines and have been parted suddenly by a few young fellows who pushed to the front. These hold firmly to the (side?)bars of the covered passages. Their bodies are still outside the line, but they have gripped the bars on both sides. Clearly, as soon as the carousel opens, they will push the others out of their way.
A despondent man turns to us: the whole week it’s like this.. the state lacks money for another soldier or two.. we need just another 4 who will begin at 4.00
We meet an ecumenical volunteer. She reports consistently crowded mornings, particularly at Qalandiya.
6.15 In the past half hour, 350 people entered for checking. Carousel 3 got stuck. Ina called to the officer who saw to the problem.
At 6.00 There was a change of guard. The officers arrived and the humanitarian gate was opened.
6.11 Checking station no. 5 was opened, for humanitarian cases only.
7.15 In the past half hour 400 people entered for checking. The humanitarian line started emptying, but the regular lines remained crowded. In the past we would leave the checkpoint empty before 7.30 but, apparently, then someone started working the checkpoint much earlier.
Checking stations 4-5 now dedicated to humanitarian cases. They are almost empty, while posts 1,2,3 are crowded.
7.45 In the past half hour 270 people passed. The humanitarian line is empty and anyone arriving passes for checking immediately. Now only about 100 people waiting in line and the men who had been on the benches have all gone in.
7.50 We entered the car line. A few minutes earlier, we heard a lot of hooting from the line but now the cars are entering quite quickly.
Cars coming from Jerusalem, that previously turned right towards Ramallah and blocked the traffic coming from Route 60, now have to continue straight, to turn at the further circle and from there to enter directly towards Ramallah without disturbing cars waiting at the checkpoint.
It took about 15 minutes to pass.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
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Click here to watch a video from Qalandiya checkpoint up to mid 2019 Three kilometers south of Ramallah, in the heart of Palestinian population. Integrates into "Jerusalem Envelope" as part of Wall that separates between northern suburbs that were annexed to Jerusalem in 1967: Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya, and the villages of Ar-Ram and Bir Nabala, also north of Jerusalem, and the city itself. Some residents of Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya have Jerusalem ID cards. A terminal operated by Israel Police has functioned since early 2006. As of August 2006, northbound pedestrians are not checked. Southbound Palestinians must carry Jerusalem IDs; holders of Palestinian Authority IDs cannot pass without special permits. Vehicular traffic from Ramallah to other West Bank areas runs to the north of Qalandiya. In February 2019, the new facility of the checkpoint was inaugurated aiming to make it like a "border crossing". The bars and barbed wire fences were replaced with walls of perforated metal panels. The check is now performed at multiple stations for face recognition and the transfer of an e-card. The rate of passage has improved and its density has generally decreased, but lack of manpower and malfunctions cause periods of stress. The development and paving of the roads has not yet been completed, the traffic of cars and pedestrians is dangerous, and t the entire vicinity of the checkpoint is filthy. In 2020 a huge pedestrian bridge was built over the vehicle crossing with severe mobility restrictions (steep stairs, long and winding route). The pedestrian access from public transport to the checkpoint from the north (Ramallah direction) is unclear, and there have been cases of people, especially people with disabilities, who accidentally reached the vehicle crossing and were shot by the soldiers at the checkpoint. In the summer of 2021, work began on a new, sunken entrance road from Qalandiya that will lead directly to Road 443 towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At the same time, the runways of the old Atarot airport were demolished and infrastructure was prepared for a large bus terminal. (updated October 2021)
Tamar FleishmanOct-11-2026Qalandiya. Female Beggar
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