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Qalandiya
Observers: Michal W., Orit D., Ofra T. (reporting); Translator: Ayala S.
9:15: Filth and stench welcomed us. The lines were still relatively short but people complained that they had already been on line for about an hour. Only four inspection booths were functioning and, of course, there was no 'humanitarian" line – Friday is not the time for 'humanitarian' issues.. with the exception of a woman hurrying to work at a hospital but stuck on line for an hour instead.
9:30: Across the gate we noticed a family of elderly parents and an adult son that had been sent back. They were obviously on the phone, very distressed. They were from Duma, wishing to visit at a hospital. The father, 67 yrs old, is denied-Shabak and was refused passage. We phoned the Matak but nothing could be done. Also, a woman wishing to visit her child at the hospital but lacking a permit had to return home. A humanitarian representative is badly needed on Friday as well.
In the mean time, the line grew. We phoned the Matak who promised that the matter would be taken care of. We asked the soldier at the pen why the fifth lane wasn't operating. His reply: It was only for people lacking kartisim…Indeed, some people headed there and were attended. Several elderly women pushed their way to the head of the line, causing anger and complaints. What about the Humanitarian line?
9:40: A policeman appeared. A disabled person on a wheelchair arrived and a matak person showed up and opened the humanitarian gate, "only for wheelchairs" he announced and shut the gate.
9:50: A group of Christian women accompanied by nuns were on their way to a church ceremony in EinKarm. They had permits. They had tried to cross through at Hizma but were redirected to Qalandiya. They were expected there at 10 (and they still had to get through the line too)!
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 FleishmanMay-13-2025Qalandiya: Back-to-back procedure for transferring patients
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