Qalandiya
9:20. At the entrance, Border Patrol personnel randomly check entering vehicles. There is a continuous line of traffic of heavy trucks with building materials coming and going, apparently indicative of construction activities.
A Red Crescent ambulance waits for an ambulance that is already standing at the side in the machsom awaiting permission to pass. They are bringing a child home for a home visit from Alyn in Jerusalem. The process took about a quarter of an hour.
I haven't been in Qalandia on Fridays and the population is different from the population seen during afternoon hours. There are many older men and women going to prayers, as well as some younger people with them. Some of them are not familiar with the "rules" of the place and get confused and create delays for the others.
We learn from the international observers that, on Fridays, between 8:00 and 11:00, 1500‑2000 people pass through. At this time, three passages were open and two cages, and the lines did not become overly long.
10:20. At shift change, the soldier coming on duty immediately created pressure in the two cages and the lines lengthened in the waiting areas. Disgusting. The passage takes half an hour and more on a day that is not at all crowded.
I haven't been to Qalandia for a long time. This reawakens the feelings of despair and degradation that the people experience when they are forced to pass through here daily.
Two men who passed through the border crossing at Nalin‑Karit came to speak to us and asked that we come there in the morning hours. Their basic complaint was about the x‑ray machine because they fear it causes cancer. They say that some of those who pass through prefer to go to a different crossing because of that. There was also an incident where the work permit of a man who refused to go through the machine was taken away. I have the telephone number of the contact person if there is someone who looks into complaints such as these.
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 FleishmanFeb-16-2026Qalandiya CP: shortcut
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