Qalandiya
An encouraging morning in Qalandiya:
5:15: Only three out of five inspection booths were open and the lines stretched out into the parking area. Calling the Matak, the response was the recently usual: "limited working force available…" On the other hand, the progress of the lanes was relatively better than usual and the people on line showed a lower measure of anger and despair. One person confirmed that on the previous day the passage was indeed easier.
The fourth inspection booth was opened at 5:55, the fifth at 6:00 and the pace of passage was duly improved. At 6:00 the Matak officer we had met some weeks ago negated that the cause for the delayed opening of inspection booths was "limitations of working force" and put the blame on computer difficulties. Thus, the actual intention was to have opened the booths before 6:00. We reiterated the importance of opening up at 5:00. The officer suggested that the number of passers-through was different by the day, which probably accounted for the previous day's ease of passage. At 6:10 a Matak soldier whom we knew as serious and efficient arrived, opened the Humanitarian gate, and did so again whenever necessary. He agreed that end-January – February was a difficult period at the CP. But that on days as today, with three checking posts that had been operating since before 6:00, it would be past the peak by 7:00 or 7:15.(vs. nearly 8:00 on Tuesdays of previous weeks). He stayed on to see the result.
It was even better than he had predicted: at 6:45 the lines were dissolving and people were directly approaching the lanes. We all agreed that in addition to the good work of the staff, daily supervision was essential at the peak hours.
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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