Qalandiya
A quiet morning in Qalandiya
We arrived at the checkpoint about 5:15, after parking on the Israeli side. Cool weather. There was no line when we arrived. The turnstile at the end of the third "cage" was open and everyone could go through it right away. All 5 stations were already open, though the signs hanging over them still said "closed" (red X). They changed them to "open" (green V) only a little later but, most importantly, the pace of the inspection was good and people went by quickly. We saw only one person sent back.
When we came, we met the bagel and cake sellers as usual. The coffee stand opened only around 6. At 5:30, a policeman appeared. At 5:40, the turnstile was closed and a line began to form. But, when more people came, lanes 2 and 3 were opened so, after a little while, 3 turnstiles were operating all the time and no long lines were formed. The policeman went out the aquarium occasionally and looked around. Women who arrived joined the line in front of the "cages". Some of them waited, like the men, at the end of the line, which moved reasonably quickly. Also a family who came chose to wait in the regular line and not to wait and see if they opened the Humanitarian line.
At a certain point, a verbal battle began between 2 people which rapidly deteriorated into a fist fight. Luckily, other people intervened and separated them. The opening of the turnstiles calmed them down and everyone hurried to get into the lines and go through. Once in a while, we heard a female soldier on the loud speaker or we saw someone who was turned back, but, in general, it was calm. At about 6, a couple with a baby arrived. They asked the policeman for the Humanitarian Gate, but he said that it would not be opening. So, they turned to the regular line and were allowed to join it at the entrance to the "cage".
At 6:15 the policeman left. We joined the line at 6:30 and, as we were waiting, a guard arrived and joined the female soldier in the aquarium. Within 10 minutes, we were outside.
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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