Qalandiya
It was unusually cold at Qalandiya and very windy (also in the covered area) when we arrived at 05:20 and found lines stretching far into the parking lot. We immediately saw only three of the five inspection stations open; we telephoned the DCO to ask them to open the others. A young soldier (he sounded young) who answered said they don’t open all the stations simultaneously. We said that wasn’t what we requested, that the checkpoint isn’t operating properly because two inspection stations aren’t open; he asked us whether we could supply the soldiers to man them. We asked whether he understood correctly, that the IDF lacks soldiers to man the checkpoint appropriately. “Yes,” he said. We promised to notify all the relevant authorities. Which we’re now doing, in this report.
Five minutes later, at 05:30, the two last stations opened. We doubt it was due to our phone call; they probably had planned to open the final two stations at that time.
We know those responsible for managing the Qalandiya checkpoint are very experienced, professional and committed, and don’t need us to remind them to operate the checkpoint in an acceptable manner and adapt themselves to changing conditions during the course of the day. That’s why we couldn’t imagine why they ignored the long lines (which are to be expected at this early hour) and didn’t open all the stations when they saw those lines forming.
On the other hand, a DCO soldier arrived at the checkpoint at 06:05, opened the humanitarian gate and reopened it whenever a handful of people waited there.
We left at 06:50 when people had begun crossing freely through the revolving gate at the end of the left-hand fenced corridor.
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-8-2025Qalandiya: Emptiness in public space
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