‘Anata-Shu’afat, Qalandiya
Overburdened morning at the pedestrian passage in Qalandiya. Quite empty and quick passage at Sho’afat.
Qalandiya
We arrived at about 5:15, after we parked on the Israeli side and passed through by foot. It was still dark and quite cold. Outside it was noisy with people and cars. We by-passed a group of people praying next to the pedestrian entrance and when we entered, in front of us were long lines. All five stations were already open but people said the passage was very slow with every opening of the turnstiles. They let the women mix into the line at the entrance to the pens. Some people said the situation was bad all week, but others (among them H., who we know) say that it was OK. Continuing, H. says that in the past, at the end of the day, he was a passenger to his home in Biddu, in the car of an acquaintance from Givat Ze’ev. Lately, the acquaintance refuses to take him. He apologized to H. and explained that his wife is afraid and forbids him to give rides to an Arab, even if they have known each other for years.
At about 6:00, several young women wait beside the Humanitarian Gate. We suggested that they mix in with the regular line because it is not clear if or when they will open the gate. They are hesitant because of the crowding. They explain that they are nursing students and have to get to Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives. In the meantime, a policeman and two guards arrive. The guards walk around the Humanitarian passageway; one of them speaks with the young women waiting, but the gate isn’t opened and the guards leave. Another policeman and policewoman arrive and one of the policemen tells those waiting that the gate will open in a little while. In the meantime, the police took charge of opening the turnstiles and then more people enter each time they opened.
At 6:20 the guards return and with them a female soldier from the District Command Office and finally they open the gate. All those waiting passed through, among them an older couple, a couple with a child who had to have medical treatment and many women. They continued to open (the gate) another few times and entered those waiting. The regular lines also get shorter. At about 6:35 we joined the line. When we were in the pen we saw that they announced to people that they will no longer open the Humanitarian Gate and turned them over to the regular line. It took us a little more than a quarter of an hour to pass through.
Sho’afat
We traveled to Sho’afat this this time we decided to check the condition of the pedestrian passage. Still outside, we saw that the transits of public transportation are standing empty in the circle outside and were waiting for passengers, something that says that they are not letting people remain in buses and pass through. Inside the neighborhood we saw that the line to the automobile passage isn’t large and everything looks really quiet. It was about 7:00. In addition, it looks like they cleaned a bit and picked up the large piles of garbage that were there three weeks ago. As yet there is still garbage on the streets, but much less than before.
We entered the passage for pedestrians and were surprised to discover that there are not a lot of people. The entrance to the building is from the door next to the turnstile and not through the turnstile. Inside there are two turnstiles but only one is working. On the walls there are signs on which it is written that the passage is only for individuals, so gird yourself patiently. In line are mainly women and young people. A boy arrives and passes to the front. The other young people reprimand him. He says he has an exam and worries he will be late. The youngsters make him go to the back, but after a minute, they call him and send him forward.
The turnstile indeed opens for the passage of one person all the time, at times, two. Many times 2-3 people are pushed together between the arms of the turnstile, in order to pass through more quickly. They pass through a magnetic screening and present their identity cards to the soldiers at the post but their bags are not checked. It is not clear if the X-ray machine is broken or if the soldiers are not demanding that every person place his/her bag for checking. We see that those ahead of us placed their bags beside the X-ray machine and gathered them afterward with no check; therefore we did likewise. The passage took less than a quarter of an hour. Outside the young people explained to us that today is the holiday of the Prophet Mohammad and that most of the schools are closed; therefore there are few people. The trip to the intersection of French Hill was fast this time with not many traffic jams.
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 FleishmanMay-31-2026Qalandiya. Human remains or clothing remains
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