Qalandiya
At 09.00 the area was full of people and the queue stretched out up to the benches.
A large group of people, mainly women and children, stood at the humanitarian gate.
A lieutenant standing there explained that they were participants in an organized tour who had a special permit to pass through the humanitarian gate. He added that old and sick people were expected to pass through the regular gate because the humanitarian gate was not opened on Fridays.
Two officers arrived at the site – a captain and a major, member of the military civilian security unit, and two police officers. All of them were equipped with ballistic vests and cell phones but apparently they were doing nothing and there was a lot of confusion and disorder. We asked the major why they did not let old and sick people pass through the humanitarian gate and he answered that if they saw somebody who needed to get to a hospital they would transfer him there. The merciful officer said that it was not necessary to let the old and sick pass through the humanitarian gate because "they were not going for medical treatment but to prayers. 50% of them were elderly people with medical problems, especially in the feet and it was impossible to let all of them pass".
At 09.30 the humanitarian gate was opened and the group of travelers passed. An elderly man approached us and explained that he was sick. The major agreed to let him pass through the humanitarian gate. The queue at the regular gate was still long.
We contacted the Area Command (Matak ?) and they promised to help.
A few minutes later the humanitarian gate was opened for a few minutes. The major asked sarcastically if there were any more sick people to let them pass through the humanitarian gate. One of the officers said: "It`s not so bad that they have to wait. I too have to wait in traffic jams. The major added: "My father also waits in queues".
A little later when a few old people gathered near the humanitarian barrier, we asked the police officer who stood nearby, why he did not open the gate and let them pass. He answered that he was not obliged to give us explanations. A woman with a baby approached and her escorts told us that she had a certificate of approval for an examination at the hospital. The lieutenant who stood there said that if he opened the humanitarian gate he would have to open it for all the people. The woman moved to the regular queue. A few minutes later they let her pass through the humanitarian gate.
Around 10.30 the regular queue became shorter and a few minutes later the humanitarian gate was opened.
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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