Qalandiya
An almost easy Ramadan morning
When we arrived at the Qalandia checkpoint at 6:30 a.m., all five checking stations were open and the lines through the “cages” were relatively short (that is, did not extend beyond the shed). Nevertheless, there was tension along the lines, which erupted into pushing and shouting at the entrance to the cages, undoubtedly because someone or a few people had attempted to jump the queue (which is the usual reason for such melees).
There was also a crowd waiting in front of the Humanitarian Gate, which had yet to open that morning. At first we assumed that it was not going to open because of the relatively short lines through the cages. But then we saw that the Civil Administration soldier arrived (late, as is her wont), and the gate opened at 6:35.
Because of the noise in the shed, we moved outside in order to brief the group of American visitors. But we glanced inside from time to time and saw that the pace of progress through the cages was smooth, so that long lines never developed. When we returned inside at about 7:30, however, the Civil Administration soldier was already gone and the Humanitarian Gate was closed for the morning. When a middle-aged man arrived with a surgical mask on his face, unable to walk without the aid of his companion, we called the DCO to ask that a soldier come out to open the gate for him. But after five minutes, when no soldier appeared on the horizon, the man and his companion lined up in a half-empty cage and we formed a line of 14 people behind him to ensure that no one would enter and possibly push him from behind for lack of appreciating his condition.
At 8:00 we also moved through a single cage as a group and moved onto the same checking station (so that I could be near the group at all times, lest a problem arise in the procedure there). It took 35 minutes until the entire group cleared the station, essentially because it was delayed for 20 minutes due to a problem with a couple – she and her child were allowed through, he wasn’t. We exited the checkpoint at 8:40.
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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