Qalandiya
Morning after a disturbed night in Qalandiya; queues collapsed twice; the humanitarian gate opened late and closed early.
05.15. Arriving on the Israeli side, we passed a group at prayer, and went through to the Palestinian side. The lines were already long, extending towards the parking lot, although the 5 checking points were open. The kiosk was open, but the beigel seller hadn’t arrived. Later, when we met him, we learned this was because all night and towards morning, I.D.F. was active in Qalandiya. A number of arrests were made and there were also some clashes. Someone showed us pictures of those arrested. Another man told us that he comes from Maharbata (next to Bet Sira, Modi’in) but, because he works in Atarot, he has to pass through Qalandiya. Today the road was closed because the army activity in Qalandiya was not yet over, and people had to do a big detour.
At one stage two policemen arrived and went straight away to checking station no.3. apparently the turnstile there was not working, and so they had people enter through the gate at its side. Then they departed.
A man hesitantly approached us and asked what we do, if we have an office. He clearly needed some help. We explained a bit about our helping those refused permits, etc. He took us aside and showed us a video on his camera, an item of news on Channel 10 six months ago, during Ramadan. The item described arrests being made by the Palestinian Authority in Qalandiya. The action was in co-operation with I.D.F., but the Palestinian troops went into Kfar Akeb – a neighbourhood annexed to Jerusalem, but over the separation fence. During these events shots were fired, wounding also a 15 year-old boy, uninvolved in the affair. The item concentrated on the seriousness of the fact that Palestinian Authority forces operated in an area that is supposed to be under Israeli control. The man talking to us was worried about something else: that boy is his son. He was wounded, treated at Hadassah, and is now in Alyn. The father is himself originally from Bethehem and has a green Palestinian I.D. The mother is a resident of Kfar Akeb and, therefore, has a blue I.D. That is why the boy gets the necessary medical treatment in Jerusalem. What disturbs the man is that no one takes any interest in the boy. According to him, no official source has noticed him. From the Palestinian Authority, they did take an interest, and offered the father’s family in Bethlehem help, but when they learned that the boy is registered in Israel and entitled to medical care according to Israeli health law, they retreated. The father wants to arouse interest in Israeli media, in his son’s fate.
At a certain stage lines were once again formed – at last – and women and old folk could manage to filter in. But this didn’t last long and the lines collapsed a second time. It took a long time until orderly lines again formed and everyone could join.
At 7.45 the lines were short and we joined one. It took us 30 minutes to pass through.
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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