Back to reports search page

Qalandiya

Place: Jerusalem
Observers: Hana T.,Yvonne M.,Daniela I.
Mar-01-2006
| Afternoon

Qalandiya, Wednesday 1.3.2006, p.m.Watchers; Hana T. Yvonne M. Daniela I. (reporting) 15:15 A police car at the crossroads of Naveh Yaakov. Police checking birth certificates of children. A driver tells us that a month previously a lad was found with a birth certificate from the territories and the taxi was confiscated for a month. The rolling checkpoint keeps returning.Qalandiya15:30 Many taxis before the entrance to the “crossing”. People tell us that because there is no work they try to make a living by driving taxis. The cart pushers are forbidden to pass through the checkpoint when they come from Ramallah to Jerusalem. They can only go through the car lane. At least another 20 minutes of pulling, Why is this so?16:00 Many people are waiting at the pedestrians’ checkpoint. The car lane. In contrast to what we were told last week by the commander of the CP, that is that everyone can pass from the south to the north in the direction of Ramallah, we now see that the soldiers are only allowing Palestinian cars that have permit to go through. And those who do not have this permit…where do they cross? The soldiers refuse to reply. A Palestinian who did not have a permit and who was in a Palestinian car which had permits was forced to get out of the car and go all the way around to the pedestrian lane. There they do not check so what is the logic? The cars going through to Ramallah are delayed and a traffic jam ensues. The lane is narrow and blocked at each side by rocks. Next to it is a large area which could be utilized for another lane but stands empty, fenced in by rocks. The line of cars reaches the refugee camp of Qalandiya.Pedestrian lane to the south. A girl with a cello goes through and it is hard to pass the turnstiles, so first the cello crosses and then the girl.There is intensive building outside the wall. The outline of a circle, cranes, posts, pipes, guards. They say they are building for the Palestinians. Indeed we are building a fatherland for them.Ar-Ram18:00 Tens of cars cross slowly and infuriatingly.Anata18:20 A woman soldier tells us that a fence will be built so as to stop people passing on the sides and to force them to go through the checkpoint only.

  • Jerusalem

    See all reports for this place
    • The places in East Jerusalem which are visited routinely by MachsomWatch women are Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah. During the month of Ramadan, also the Old City and its environs are monitored.

Donate
A MachsomWatch volunteer sits in conversation with a Palestinian man in the South Hebron Hills.

We can't promise to stop the violence.

We can promise to keep showing up.

Donate Now