Qalandiya
Another crowded morning at Qalandiya.
We arrived before 05:15; there weren’t many lines. But long lines quickly began forming, reaching to the parking lot. The three open booths couldn’t handle the large number of people coming at this hour. At about 05:25 a policewoman arrived and two additional inspection booths opened, but it was already too late. The lines stretched far into the parking lot and did so for more than an hour, until about 06:30.
At one point we saw a father carrying a little girl hugging a teddy bear almost as big as she was. Those on line told him to proceed to the entrance to the cages and allowed him to enter without waiting on line. The few women who arrived also entered the cages from the side; the men allowed them in. An older man with an infant arrived shortly before 06:00. He said he had an appointment for surgery at 07:00. Even though a line had already formed at the humanitarian gate they suggested he enter the cages from the regular line, on the chance it would be faster. At about 06:00, when the humanitarian gate hadn’t yet opened, some of the women waiting there also gave up, moved to the regular line and went straight into the cages.
At about 06:10 a soldier arrived from the DCL and began admitting people through the humanitarian gate, and returned to do so as needed. After he’d twice admitted a relatively large group he also opened the gate when only a few people stood there, without waiting until a larger group had formed. He even allowed a man who’d left his cigarettes with a friend on the regular line to come out, get his cigarettes and return through the humanitarian gate to inspection booth number 5.
Meanwhile another policewoman and security guards had arrived. At 06:30 there was some problem at booth number 5, which received those coming through the humanitarian gate. A woman came to the area of the security forces and approached the soldier. We weren’t able to determine what the problem was, but the soldier and a security guard went over to booth number 5, entered from the side and after a short time returned; it seemed as if the problem had been solved.
At 06:30 the lines had shortened and were restricted to the covered area and at 06:50 there were lines only in the cages. We left.
The traffic at the plaza leading to the vehicle checkpoint was heavy, as usual. We went through smoothly – only a look at our IDs and our guest’s passport. The female soldier at the checkpoint even told us to “have a nice day.”
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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