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Qalandiya
Observers: Hanna S., Ronit D. (reporting), Ayala S (translating)
We arrived at the CP shortly after 5am. We parked at the Israeli side and walked to the barrier. The turmoil was great: there were many people beyond the turnstiles and in lines before the pens. Usually the number of persons allowed through the turnstiles is limited in order to avoid an overcrowding at the checking-tills. In attendance were one security guard and two policemen. Apparently, the first turnstile was out of order, constantly revolving and couldn't be stopped. People continued to go through until it finally came to a halt: actually, it was tied down by a chain! so the number of people waiting to be checked at the tills decreased but the crowd at the pens grew. Passage was renewed through two other turnstiles at the edge of the pens and great crowding formed there.
We advised women waiting for inspection to wait for the Humanitarian passage which would be open by 6:00. However the crowding was so severe that this advice could not be followed and the needy simply had to wait until all the pushy young people would get through and the passage would once more return to normal.
At arrival, we had noticed the presence of two youths from "human Rights Blue-White". They claimed that a certain police officer often opened the humanitarian gate before 6 am. We never witnessed this although we had seen a case of the gate being opened for a person in a wheelchair.
Ramadan means that the Beigeleh and coffee vendor was absent. Neither do people smoke. The parking lot was open. Many fences and barriers had been installed to direct people through the vehicle passage on Fridays.
At 5:40 one of the policemen indicated to the soldier in the 'aquarium' to open the turnstiles for an extended period in order to release people who were waiting in front of the checking-tills. Order was now reinstalled.
At 6:10 the Matak officer P. arrived and opened the humanitarian till. We noticed him assisting a woman with a baby and a 10-year old boy and others.He was equipped with a sheet of paper and took notes while checking some people's permits.
At 6:10 the Matak officer P. arrived and opened the humanitarian till. We noticed him assisting a woman with a baby and a 10-year old boy and others.He was equipped with a sheet of paper and took notes while checking some people's permits.
A group of women stood aside and waited. Apparently, their permit was for passage after 8:00 and they were not allowed through earlier. We noticed that people lacking permits were declined passage.
At 7:15 a person dressed differently than the regular security staff arrived and was greeted by the others warmly. He opened the humanitarian gate whenever P. was away.
At 7:20 the lines contracted and were only evident at the pens. We left then as well and got through pretty quickly.
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 FleishmanJun-25-2025Qalandia: West Bank man injured in both legs
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