Qalandiya, thanks to visitors from the UN, a quick passage at the checkpoint
The Welcome Effect of Guests
Four of the five checking stations were open when we arrived at 5:30 a.m. and the x-ray machine in one of them was not working, so that only people without bags of any sort could use that station. Nevertheless, the lines were short due to the fact that the soldier responsible for opening the turnstiles at the end of the three bar-lined passages known as the “cages” allowed large numbers to pass through each time he opened them. The fifth checking station opened at 5:55. There was a change of the guard at the same hour and the woman soldier responsible for opening the turnstiles did not adopt the policy of her predecessor, causing longer lines to develop.
This situation changed dramatically, however, once two Civil Administration soldiers arrived to open the Humanitarian Gate at 6:10 and were immediately followed by two people in civilian dress who, it later became clear, were from the United Nations. One of the DCO soldiers checked the permits of the Palestinians going through the Humanitarian Gate as the other briefed the U.N. guests. They were soon followed by additional soldiers from the Military Police (who are responsible for opening the turnstiles and work within the checking stations), a security guard, and a policeman (it’s been months since we’ve seen so many people on the other side of the bars) and all to the benefit of the progress of the lines through the “cages,” within close view of the guests. The U.N. visitors also took note of our presence.
As soon as they had left, the policeman approached us and initiated a friendly chat in which he revealed a plan to turn the Qalandia checkpoint over to civilian administration – apparently once the new building is completed sometime next year (or whenever). He added that the building would be equipped with biometric eye-recognition technology to make the passage through the security check much faster. We shall see …
At 6:40 we joined the line in a cage that was all but empty and exited the security check in less than 10 minutes.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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