Qalandiya
The day after the assault on a soldier at the pedestrian checkpoint
All five checking stations were open and the lines reached deep into the parking lot when we arrived at 5:30. We had a sense of unusual quiet and restraint prevailing in the shed despite tension in the air on the day after the assault on a woman NCO who has been in charge of the Humanitarian Gate for a long while and is well know at the checkpoint. The bagel seller told us only that “there was a big mess yesterday.” The coffee man was not interested in talking at all. Two people – who speak with us regularly – were prepared to talk about the incident but only to the extent of expressing perplexity at the motives of the woman (a mother of nine) in attacking the soldier, whom she had asked for help. But when two DCO soldiers (whom we had not met before) arrived at 6:10 to operate the Humanitarian Gate, they approached us to speak about the incident in a friendly manner. On both sides of the bars, we were aware that the NCO had been stabbed where we were standing and talking now. We asked them to relay to her our best wishes for a speedy recovery. The Humanitarian Gate was operated as required throughout the morning.
The shift passed without any unusual occurrences. The lines remained long throughout the morning. We joined the end of one of them at 7:30 and it took us 35 minutes to reach the checking station. Earlier, at 6:30, we began following two men from the end of two of the lines, and it took them 50 minutes to reach the checking stations. Because the visa of one of our guests had expired, without his knowledge, we were sent from the first checking station to stand on another line. There the problem was solved (that is, he was allowed through) after providing a reasonable explanation to the officer in charge – all accomplished with politeness.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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