Qalandiya
Dawn.
All five checking points were open when we arrived at 5:00 but the turnstile at the end of the passage ("enclosure") no. 1 was still out of order, so that when a soldier in the aquarium shut the turnstiles in enclosures 2 and 3 at 5:10, long queues formed quickly.
It is unclear why it is so difficult to repair a turnstile during five weeks. After he arrived at the CP, we asked the DCO soldier about this and he referred us to the policemen there, but those ignored us when we tried to draw their attention. The result of this situation was two long queues extending beyond the roofed area of the CP, so the people there were exposed to the cold and to the strong winds of the place. This morning the queues advanced quickly enough, but the situation of the persons standing in them would have been more comfortable if the damaged turnstile would at long last be repaired and thus they could stand in three queues. We very much hope that the cumbersomeness in the repair of the turnstile doesn't stem, heaven forbid, from disregard towards those passing through the CP.
The DCO soldier opened the humanitarian gate at 6:00 and again whenever a handful of people collected around him. Women who stood next to the gate even complimented him quietly in our ears (but added that the situation on the day before, when another soldier or officer was responsible for the gate, was especially difficult).
We left the CP at 6:50, when the queues became so short that the enclosures were empty. The congestion which led to the vehicle CP was, as usual, oppressive.
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-13-2025Qalandiya: Back-to-back procedure for transferring patients
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