Qalandiya
05.30. The queues which extended slightly beyond the shed were orderly and advanced at a reasonable pace. All 5 checkpoints were open. The beigel-seller and cigarette seller were absent, and the kiosk moved outside.
We met our friend H. who told us that the queues were now stretching further, and apparently the beigel seller could not reach the checkpoint because of the building rubble on the way. Later we went outside and saw that metal borders erected at the entrance were arranged in such a way that the queues were turned aside and did not stretch in a straight line to the road. As a result, there was not a single paved road to pass on, but one had to go through a rough one (as shown in the picture).
In addition,we saw that the building in which new turnstiles have been affixed on the western side, was Fleishman’s report of the first Friday of Ramadan, that there were magnometers nearby and men passed through there and, apparently, through the doors nearby.
On a wall we saw posters advertising legal services and help in applying for permits of various types. One notice was that of a lawyer’s company, the other of some organization.
Towards 6 a.m. people were waiting for the humanitarian gate to open. Most women went to join the regular lines. In the end the gate opened at 6.15. Today there were many children – schoolchildren and children who came with their parents. The guards explained to us that, because of preparations for Ramadan, the lane for public transport had been closed, and so today they were passing through on foot.
Outside were some people having breakfast in the shade of the new metal partitions.
Towards 7 o’clock the lines were very short and there were times when the turnstiles were left open. We waited on the Palestinian side as we were expecting a cancer patient from the Jordan Valley whom we were to take to Hadassah Hospital for treatment. After a long wait, and with the help of people who could speak to him on the phone, we found that he had already passed and was waiting for us on the Israel side! We immediately headed for the sleeve, and it took us 20 minutes to pass. We met our patient. Fortunately there were no serious traffic jams and we reached Hadassah by 8 o’clock.
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 FleishmanOct-11-2026Qalandiya. Female Beggar
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