Qalandiya
05.15. A cold morning and still dark. On the Israeli side many people were already waiting for transport. On the Palestinian side were long lines that extended beyond the hut. 5 checking stations were open. The kiosk was open and the beigel seller was at his post. In the aquarium was a soldier and we saw a policeman outside, who had just finished letting some women through the humanitarian gate. We have seen in the past this particular policeman opening the gate sometimes before 6 a.m. It seems that if there is the will, it is possible to open the gate without waiting for the D.C.O. officer!
At about 6 a.m. the lines were reaching right into the parking lot, and there were many people waiting at the humanitarian gate. A guard arrived, accompanied by the D.C.O. officer. The policeman left, but soon returned with a policewoman and another guard. In general the lines were orderly, though long. When we went out to buy tea we saw they reached deeply into the parking lot. The cats in the police enclosure entertained ‘our forces.’ They are the only ones free to pass through barriers.
Suddenly we saw the policeman, policewoman and 2 guards going out through the humanitarian gate, out of the shed. As we followed to see them, people in line called “photograph them,” but there wasn’t really anything to photograph. It turned out that they (joined by other staff from the vehicle checkpoint) went out to control the traffic. Indeed the traffic at the roundabout and in the road is a nightmare. (We, for a long time now, have been parking on the Israeli side so as to avoid this – which we are able to do.) Many people drive against the stream, and if a car comes in the correct direction, particularly if it’s a truck, there is a huge jam. First we saw the policewoman photographing cars (presumably later sending the drivers reports). At one stage, she made a car driving in the wrong direction turn around and return towards the far roundabout. Suddenly a car in the parking lot could be heard screeching; immediately a policeman and guard appeared, the policeman drawing his revolver and standing opposite. It is unclear why this was necessary as the policeman did not seem to be in any danger. The car stopped right away, and the policeman approached, but it seems the driver was dismissed with only a warning.
At the far end (from us) outside the parking lot in the direction of the road leading to A-Ram and the distant roundabout, we suddenly heard an explosion and saw smoke. We couldn’t see, but it looks as if our forces have started controlling the traffic by means of smoke bombs…
It doesn’t seem to us that these were tear gas (as we saw reported in earlier reports), because we felt no effects, and no one coming from that direction showed any tears or breathing difficulty. Actually, there is a point in having police see that all the traffic at Qalandiya is in the right direction, but it’s not clear why they have to use smoke bombs…
We returned inside and, soon after, came the policeman, policewoman and 2 guards. Meanwhile the lines had become shorter and were within the hut. Soon after 7, when the lines were really short, we joined one and were out within 15 minutes.
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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