Qalandiya
Qalandiya
A relatively calm morning.
05.15. When we arrived on the Palestinian side the queues already extended out of the hut. 5 checking stations were open. At first the soldier operating the turnstile allowed only a few people through at a time, but later increased the flow and the lines got shorter.
There are additional sales counters for Ramadan. The tea kiosk has been converted into a shoe shop, there are stalls selling toys, cell-phone gadgets. There were already one or two buyers, and one seller had apparently spent the night there on a bench with blanket and pillow.
From time to time the lines got longer and shorter. The few women arriving merged into the lines. An elderly couple were also invited into the line. However, they were turned back at the checking station, told to return at 8, as they did not have permits. Our friend, H., whom we hadn’t seen for a while, complained again about not being able to cross at Jib or Nebi Samuel checkpoints, close to his home. He has to waste time and money to cross at Qalandiya or Zeitim. We chatted with two women from Nablus who were on their way to Al Aksa, the older one speaking English.
At 5.45, two policemen arrived. Towards 6 o’clock a DCO officer arrived with 2, apparently new soldiers, to be followed soon after by 2 security guards. The officer explains the setup to his soldiers, including “Say shalom to the Machsomwatch women,” and asks us how things have gone this morning. He also explains to them the difference between regular days and Fridays during Ramadan. Apparently they had been at Zeitim checkpoint last Friday. He explains that at Zeitim only a few people pass, while at Qalandiya on Ramadan Fridays, there are about 50,000 people.
At this point the lines are very short. Nevertheless, the officer invites a man and woman who are ‘entitled’ to the humanitarian gate which he opens for them. He continues to open the gate from time to time. He gives the impression that he himself is not altogether familiar with the arrangements and relies sometimes on a guard’s help.
At 6.30, when the lines looked as if they were finally short, we joined one. At the checking stations we met the two women from Nablus. They, too, had been told to wait until 8 o’clock.
Within 15 minutes we were out.
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 FleishmanOct-11-2026Qalandiya. Female Beggar
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