Qalandiya
The lines were relatively short (that is, contained within the shed) when we arrived at 5:30 and the pace of the checks within the five checking stations was encouraging (we timed it – from afar — with the stopwatch feature on our cell phone and arrived at an average of between 20 and 35 seconds per person). As was true last week, by 6:30 the lines were contained within the three narrow passageways lined with bars (known to all as the “cages”), and thereafter new arrivals at the checkpoint passed freely through the turnstile at the end of the cage on the left.
A Civil Administration officer and bodyguard arrived at 6:05 to operate the Humanitarian Gate but they did not open it as those entitled to use the gate were not standing beside it – that is, women, children, and men over 60 calculated that their chances of reaching the checking stations quickly were better via the cages than by waiting for the officer to open the Humanitarian Gate at his discretion.
This remained the case until two young women approached the Humanitarian Gate — as is their wont and their right – but were told by the bodyguard that it would not be opened and that they were to join one of the lines through the cages. When we asked why the gate would not be opened, the bodyguard replied that it wasn’t necessary because there was not pressure this morning, meaning the lines were short. We countered that the gate also exists because women feel uncomfortable standing in the cages in close proximity to men as they may find themselves in physical contact with the men when the turnstiles open and the lines press forward. The bodyguard (who was handling this exchange because the Civil Administration officer was evidently new on the job and at a loss to answer our question) then asked the two young women why they wanted him to open the gate. When one of them replied that she did not want to be late for work, he again sent them to stand on the lines that move through the cages. We decided not to insist upon their right to go through the Humanitarian Gate under any circumstance so as to conserve our influence (such as it is) for situations when the Humanitarian Gate is truly needed — especially since our position had at any rate been undermined (unintentionally, I'm sure) by the two young women, who obviously did not understand the gist of our conversation (in Hebrew) with the bodyguard.
At the end of the shift, at about 6:30, another Civil Administration officer arrived, bid us good morning, and asked about our impression of how the checkpoint had functioned today. When we responded positively and expressed our hope that Qalandia would function this efficiently every day, he replied: “Don’t forget to tell Hannah that!” — apparently referring to our colleague Hannah Barag and the letter of complaint she sent to a number of officials, together with our report of two weeks ago on the insufferable situation at the checkpoint that morning. We can only hope that the impression made by that letter and the attached report is a lasting one.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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
-
