Back to reports search page
Donate
Qalandiya, יום א’ 4.1.09, אחה”צ
This is the second day of the ground invasion of the IDF into Gaza, the Molten Lead War.
15:45 Qalandiya checkpoint
The increase in security forces indicated the expectation of things happening. A soldier with his rifle at the ready stood at the sniper's site which faces the passage to the Palestinian refugee camp, and jeeps of the border police waited in the area of the checkpoint in their vehicles. However, things did not develop into violence and their desire subsided. In the parking lot, we were affronted by the shouts of the woman soldier who was at the stand where vehicles entered into the checkpoint, a soldier who only has a voice–without a description of her being hidden in the stand with its sterile protection. Her commands and instructions were said in a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic and were shouted in a scolding and reprimanding tone. The words, which in our opinion, emphasized her behavior were when she grew desperate in explaining to the drivers what they should do and shouted out "Yalla. To the ground! to the ground! As if they were dogs who were subject to her bitterness and not people.
At the side of the checkpoint a red sign was set up, new, which warned those crossing to the north that they were entering Area A and that this was a felonous act. We learned in consultation with our lawyer that this is not written at all in the sign. There is no law which forbids entry into Area A and therefore going in is not a criminal act.
.
There is new and impressive graffiti on the wall. There was an association with Picasso's Guernica, apparently it is a signature of the artist Trend Agurk; no political projection.
We wondered about who the creators of it were and when they carried out their work because their efforts required exactitude and light. We spoke with several people at the place. They, like us, were only witnesses to the finished products. No one saw how and when it was carried out. One of the wonders of graffiti, as is known, is the anonymity of it.
We wondered about who the creators of it were and when they carried out their work because their efforts required exactitude and light. We spoke with several people at the place. They, like us, were only witnesses to the finished products. No one saw how and when it was carried out. One of the wonders of graffiti, as is known, is the anonymity of it.
Hizme checkpoint:
6:00 This is the first time we were witnesses to checks being carried out here with a dog. The strap of the dog was attached to the hand of an officer who had the rank of captain
6:00 This is the first time we were witnesses to checks being carried out here with a dog. The strap of the dog was attached to the hand of an officer who had the rank of captain
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 FleishmanApr-12-2026Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
-