Qalandiya - notice about vaccinations at the checkpoint
A quiet morning at Qalandiya.
06.15. Mild weather. Many people already on the Jerusalem side. Groups sitting on the low wall, waiting for their transport, greet us. One person we asked about vaccinations, said that he had an appointment for one at checkpoint 300 (Bethlehem) next week. Such appointments are arranged by employers. Workers at Atarot have a vaccination station there. Later we found that on Sunday there had been vaccinations at Qalandiya for residents of east Jerusalem and people eligible for family unification (this was told us by security personnel inside).
A steady stream of people on the pedestrian bridge, which is still relatively clean on the Jerusalem side. The Palestinian side of the checkpoint was calm. All three entrances were open and there were no lines. At one entrance was a notice about vaccinations on 8.3.21 for those over 16, pregnant women, teachers – from all Kupoth Holim. So perhaps they also vaccinated such people who are Palestinians who are not from the annexed parts of the city.
We met Abu Ramzi who now sells his bagels at the al-Ram-facing entrance, now that the entrance facing Qalandiya is closed. He had with him his 15-year-old grandson, who has no school today because of the pandemic and so is helping his grandfather. (He did not want to be photographed.) Because of family complications, Abu Ramzi is responsible for a daughter and grandchildren. Though he is now 70, he still has to work to support them not having any pension or Social Security. When younger he worked on a crane for big Building firms in Israel – Solel Boneh, Lifschitz, and others, but stopped when he was 50. Then, looking for a livelihood, he came to selling bagels… He arrives at 4.15-4.30 and waits till he has sold all his wares. When we parted from him, he had almost finished.
We returned to the checkpoint itself where everything seemed to be in order and entered at 7 o’clock. Inside, of the 6 package-checking stations 3 were operating, but lines were short and quick. We did not check how many electronic stations were open because there was clearly no pressure. Also at the personal document-checking station, there was no line. Altogether we passed through the whole checkpoint in fewer than 10 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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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