Qalandiya
The people there at Qalandiya in front of the checkpoint were children, women and men released from hospitals in the West Bank, in a hurry to leave the dark checkpoint compound to the bright sunlight, embarking on two designated transport vehicles headed home, to the Gaza Strip.
There was something sad in this sight of those hurrying to get back to their prison, the place reeking with constant danger to their lives from their occupiers and their dire need.
Others at Qalandiya in front of the checkpoint were Israeli Border Police who situated themselves behind a wall of tin sheets, sheltering them from surprises or from the sunlight. Three of them stood there, a man and two women, and required every single Palestinian adult to present IDs and permits.
When I came so did they, and when I left, two hours later, they were still busy manhunting.
The sign with the picture of the murdered boy, Mohammad Abu Khdeir, posted by the family on the front of its home, has resulted in an official complaint and threat of daily fines by the Jerusalem municipality, because the family did not apply and was not issued permission to post this sign.
In its stead a smaller sign was placed on the wall, facing the back of the house, with a picture that has paled with the years.
The dead child, frozen in time, is present in all the life circles of the family members, young and old, and the father – Hussein – spoke of the importance of memory.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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
-