Qalandiya - Preparations for the first Friday of Ramadan
A calm, quiet morning at Qalandiya; preparations towards the first Ramadan Friday.
05.15. A cold, clear morning. Queues were stretching into the parking lot, although all 5 checking stations were open. But very soon these queues grew short, and during the morning they never extended beyond the shed.
Because of Ramadan, there was no beigel seller or tea kiosk – or smokers. But today we could feel the stench from the toilets, which is usually covered by the smell of cigarette smoke…
Outside, to the left of the checkpoint, we could see preparations towards Friday. Checking points and concrete blocks – painted blue and white – were in place for people to pass. Men over 40, children and women are to be permitted on Friday without permits. There are no signposts yet. Presumably by tomorrow there will be signs pointing to the lanes for women, men ‘humanitarian’ and one with a Ramadan blessing. We hope all will pass peacefully. Meanwhile the place is deserted, with just a stray dog. The main entrance to the parking lot is closed, but through the side entrance the parking lot fills up during the day.
Inside, the lines are short. Women enter without problems the regular lines. At 6 o’clock a soldier arrived to relieve the one managing the turnstiles, accompanied by a guard, and followed shortly by a policeman. The coffee and Coke they brought with them they drank inside the aquarium. No D.C.O. officers came, but indeed there was no need.
At 6.15 we joined a line, and passed within 15 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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