Qalandiya
A Nightmarish Morning
An extremely hard morning at Qalandiya. Soon after our arrival the lines collapsed. It took an hour for the large crowd at the entrance to the fenced-off areas to form organized lines again. Even after 7 o'clock it took us 45 minutes to cross.
We arrived at Qalandiya towards 5:30. The check posts were already working but the lines were extremely long reaching deep into the parking. We had time to greet one of our acquaintances and say good morning to the cake and bagel vendors before the lines collapsed and turned into a huge crowd of pushing and shouting people. As usual in these situations, old people and those who do not want to push moved backwards hoping for a seat on one of the benches. Being experienced, we knew it would take a long time for the lines to reorganize. Women and other people with permits started gathering at the humanitarian gate which is supposed to open at 6 o'clock.
Many people were complaining about the situation. They told us it had been just the same the day before. They are afraid to miss their day of work and even their jobs due to the delays.
Meanwhile, a policeman arrived and soon after 6 o'clock, the officer from the DCO came to open the humanitarian gate. The women crossed without being checked. Men without permits were sent back to the regular lines, meaning they would have to wait at least one more hour.
Later on, a security guard and a policewoman arrived. At dawn we went out to buy a cup of tea at the kiosk. It took a long time for the waiting people to form three long lines at the fenced-off areas again. At about 7:30, when the lines had become a little shorter, we joined a line at the edge of the roofed area and it took us 45 minutes to cross.
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 FleishmanApr-12-2026Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
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