A reasonable day at Qalandiya.
A reasonable day at Qalandiya.
05.15. Dark and cold. On the way from the carpark we pass groups huddled round their little fires. Both near the carpark and at the Israel entrance to the checkpoint are large groups at prayer. In the shed are the beigel seller and the falafel stall, but the kiosk that is usually just outside is not there. The beigel seller tells us that the kiosk is now stationed on the way to the checkpoint. Our friend H. calls out greetings to us from the line which is quickly drawn into one of the cages.
Although 15th of the month has passed, the new section is not yet open, and as far as can be seen through the white metal barrier, the building is not yet completed.
As time passes, the lines get longer and reach outside the shed. Later, when they are once again short and the humanitarian gate is open, without any evident reason, the lines suddenly collapse. However, they re-formed within ten minutes.
Soon after 7 o’clock we joined one of the now short lines. While we were waiting at one of the checking stations we noticed that when the turnstiles were once again opened everyone in the cages came through. After that the turnstiles remained open. The humanitarian gate was closed, as there was no need of it.
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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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