Qalandiya
05:10 When we got out of the car in Qalandiya’s parking lot, we saw that the line of workers extended from the carousels to the parking lot. Despite the long line which didn’t move quickly, no one was shouting as is usually the case. The quiet in the area was somewhat strange. When we arrived inside, we saw only 3 inspection gates were open. We told the woman soldier on duty in the aquarium who had come out to smoke, that the line was very long. She returned inside and opened the carousels again, in order that more workers could pass through to the inspection gates. At 05:20 the supervisor arrived and when he saw the long line, he again opened the carousels and allowed many workers to enter the inspection gate area. At the same time, two more inspection gates opened and the stream of workers consistently continued to pass through. There were some who complained, with justification, about the length of time the inspections took. Today there were approximately 1500 to 2000 workers who passed through the checkpoint.
The Humanitarian Gate was not opened until 6:15 and there were already 21 people in line. One man, who came with a baby in his arms and a permit for a doctor’s appointment in his hands, was irritated that the Humanitarian Gate was not yet open. He walked over to the carousels and immediately, the workers already in line, allowed the man and his baby to enter ahead of them. There is humanitarianism!! The saddest thing about this incident is that this baby already knows long lines and inspections. Another generation………
At 07:00 there was still a line, but it was shorter
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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