Qalandiya
This report, similarly to earlier ones of the past few weeks, describes the awful conditions of this CP. Here we are confronted with the harsh reality of a CP. I was reminded of a meeting we had in the past with military officials, prior to the inauguration of the new CP: they assured us that the new CP would operate according to border post standards. And since then, for many years, it faithfully continues its faulty existence. It is not the doing of a single soldier, it is the result of a policy dictated from superiors, that the Palestinian is not a human being, he is a transparent entity at the best, but usually an enemy-terrorist.
6:00: The line reaches halfway through the shed, two pens are open and the crowding and shouts dominate the scene as the people push their way forward. Some hurdle their lunch bags over the fences in order to save them from the pressure and crowding. Now three lanes are operating. Some people are waiting at the Humanitarian gate.
6:20: Another lane was opened, as the crowding near the pens extends all the way through the shed and a trickle reaches the parking area. The line near the humanitarian gate now consisted of some 20 persons. A young lieutenant and two security guards hovered at the gate but rebuked our request that something be done. Their haughty and sneering appearance was their reply to the despair that reigned. A father and son who had been waiting to cross through on their way for medical treatment simply gave up and decided to cross through at Hizme.
Our phone calls to the Humanitarian hot-line were of course to no avail.
6:30: The gate was opened, and some of those waiting were allowed to pass through, into the closed off area between the two fences.
6:40: Groups were allowed access through the humanitarian gate but at this stage some chose the pen access, which seemed preferable, even to school kids and women.
7:05: The gate is open for all.
7:40: The pens and the inner lines are still densely crowded.
We entered at 7:40 and exited at 8:05.
When we arrived, there already was a Russian film crew there, and they interviewed Daniella.
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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