Back to reports search page
Donate
Qalandiya
Observers: Ronny P., Maya L.
Arriving at 5:00, we noted a speedy passage through the turnstiles to the checking-booths and beyond. Then a family with a handicapped baby sleeping in his pram arrived. We attempted to attract the attention of the policeman but it took him some time to fetch the DCO officer and get him to open the 'humanitarian' gate – we had witnessed a similar situation on the previous Thursday, when the pram of a disabled child could not pass through the turnstile and the family waited for over half an hour until someone opened the gate, despite the fact that the policeman had noticed them. We now called the headquarters and a policeman showed up immediately, opened the gate and the family got through.
Why is it that only 'humanitarian' volunteers realize the urgency of a disabled family to get through quickly on their way to treatment?
Another 'humanitarian' dilemma: A new regulation rules that women over 50 and men over 55 do not require passage permits in order to pass through the CPs – after 8am (after the workmen have already crossed over). The question remains at a CP which is nearly empty and a few women wish to cross through at 6:30…Will they have the right to cross through?
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 FleishmanMay-13-2025Qalandiya: Back-to-back procedure for transferring patients
-
