Qalandiya
05.15. we arrived, parking on the Israeli side. On the Palestinian side, the queues were relatively short, mostly not extending beyond the shed, if at all. When the turnstiles were opened, may people entered at once. 5 checking stations were open, During our watch, the lines occasionally extended a bit beyond the shed. The kiosk was open, and the beigelseller was present.
We met 2 ecumenical volunteers inside, on the Israeli side was another. At one point a woman arrived: she was from Gaza and, if we understood correctly, she need to reach a hospital in East Jerusalem to accompany a patient. There was a problem about her permit, but she nevertheless was trying to pass. After a ffew minutes she returned with tears in her eyes, as she was refused entry. We advised her to wait until 6 o’clock in the hope that the D.C.O. officer would be able to help her.
Shortly after 6, an officer and soldier of the D.C.O. arrived and immediately went to the Humanitarian Gate where there were already a number of people waiting. They were soon joined by a policeman, later also by a policewoman and guards. The Gazan woman approached the D.C.O. officer who spoke to her long and patiently; he also telephoned, apparently to try to help her. But in the end he couldn’t solve the problem and she was forced to wait until the D.C.O. office would open at 8.30.
By 6.30 the lines were very short, contained within the shed. We joined one at 6.35 and after about 20 minutes were outside.
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 FleishmanJul-21-2026Qalandiya. Conversation in the shadow of the wall
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