Qalandiya
A standard morning (as of late)
Though it was a Sunday morning, when we arrived at 6:00 a.m. all five checking stations were open and there were no lines. The lines began to form beginning at 6:15 but did not extend beyond the shed at any point during the morning, even though checking stations 5 and then 3 closed for a number of minutes during the time we were there.
The DCO soldier was already there when we arrived and opened the Humanitarian Gate each time a group of people formed in front of it.
We quickly noticed that the Ramadan arrangement (that doubles the length of the walk or run from the exit from the cages to the lines entering the checking stations) was reinstituted after it had been cancelled the last time we were there. The benefit of this arrangement is unclear to us, beyond having people walk further early in the morning (for their health?).
We left the checkpoint at 7:00, by which time the lines had shortened considerably. Having parked on the northern side of the checkpoint, we did not go through the security check and drove through East Jerusalem quickly via the Hizmeh road, which was still free of traffic jams in August.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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
-