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Qalandiya
Observers: Roni H., Tamar F.; Translation: Judith Green
Men and women suffering from cancer, after radiation treatments, collapsed onto what is left of the metal benches at the exit of the checkpoint.
40 patients from all over the West Bank arrived in the morning in two minibuses, crossed the checkpoint and continued by public transportation to the Augusta Victoria Hospital, the only Palestinian hospital that provided such treatments to patients from the West Bank. When they are weak, both from their illness and from the treatments which have strong side affects, they return in the evening to the checkpoint, wait until the whole group has gathered, get on the minibuses which are provided by the Palestinian Authority and which take them only to Nablus. From there, each one of them continues on their own to there homes, wherever that might be.
Every day, day after day, usually about 30 days of the prescribed treatment.
A "hunting car" of the Border Guard brought a young girl to the checkpoint who was caught somewhere in Jerusalem.
One of the hunters accompanied the girl to the entrance of the checkpoint and then drove her out shamefacedly. When he saw me photographing, shouted: "If you take my picture, I'll break your camera!".
"No, you won't".
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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