‘Anata, Qalandiya, Tue 14.6.11, Morning
Long lines extended into the sleeves when we arrived at 6:05 a.m. Standing on them, unusually, were also a number of women, while only one family (with an infant child, headed for the hospital) stood waiting by the Humanitarian Gate. When we saw no sign of the staff in charge of opening the Humanitarian Gate, we called the DCO and heard from a sleepy soldier, who declined to identify himself, that the Gate would not be opened before 8 a.m. (whereas it usually operates until 8 a.m.). We asked that a sign at least be posted on the gate informing people to this effect but saw no action in this direction during the half hour we were present.
Soon after we arrived, however, movement through the sleeves picked up pace, and the turnstiles were opened every 8-10 minutes, with some 50 people (in total) going through each time. One man we called later in the morning told us that it had taken him 20 minutes to traverse the checkpoint; another said 30 minutes. When we left Qalandia at 6:35, the sleeves were only half filled.
On our way to Anata, the commander of the DCO called to clarify what had prompted our earlier call to his office. We again requested that a sign be posted at the Gate explaining that it would not operate before 8 a.m. today.
We arrived at the Anata checkpoint before 7 a.m. to find that the flow of pedestrians (mostly children) and traffic was fluid. We were told by a Palestinian source there that yesterday a number of children from Shuafat had been arrested and interrogated on suspicion of throwing stones on Nakba Day; were brought before a judge; and were fined NIS 5,000 each. (The sister of one of these minors confirmed her brother's age as 11 and the amount of the fine demanded of their family.) We also again noted the disturbing absence of a crosswalk (and someone to enforce it) over the heavily trafficked road that children must cross on their way from the pedestrian passage through the checkpoint to the rented buses carrying them to school. We left Anata close to 8 a.m. as the last school buses were moving out.
Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Anat TuegJan-25-2026Anata: A new outpost has been built south of the junction
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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-12-2026Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
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