Qalandiya
Occupation Functioning Efficiently
9:15: At the terminal there were few people and lots of filth. A Palestinian workman was cleaning up the area beyond the first turnstiles – where the soldiers are present – but the fore area was terribly filthy. Passage is through two lanes as one lane, across from the humanitarian, is out of order. We were greeted by a handicapped person in a wheelchair. He had already spoken with the girl-soldier and was waiting for someone to open the gate. The girl was efficient and cooperative and explained to us that she was trying to prevent crowding at the inner sleeves and was therefore releasing people gradually from the outer pens. Every release was announced as "maftu'ach" and the people then hurried to get through.
Two women on their way to Gaza were carrying huge suitcases. No, the gate would not be opened as it was reserved for handicapped persons, explained the soldier. They forced their suitcases through the rails and then the turnstiles, laughing and inviting us to visit them in Gaza….
Most of the people passing through on Friday were adults and elderly, as opposed to the past when youths would also pass through, wishing to breathe some fresh air beyond the Wall. The atmosphere at the terminal is tense and silence hovers over the heaps of garbage.
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 FleishmanJun-28-2026Qalandiya. The bridge leading from Jerusalem to the Qalandiya checkpoint
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