Qalandiya - Rain, Cold, Wind, and a Strike
We were glad to see that all five checking stations were open when we arrived at 5:30 on this cold and stormy morning – which was also the day of a Palestinian general strike in protest to the visit by U.S. Vice President Pence. Apparently as a result of one or all of these factors, the lines were short and did not extend outside the shed throughout the shift. The soldier responsible for opening the turnstiles also did so frequently, so that the forward progress was quite satisfactory.
At 6:05 we called the DCO because a family had arrived with an infant in a stroller on the way to the hospital. We were told that the soldier responsible for the Humanitarian Gate was on his way. When he did not arrived after 10 minutes, the family folded the stroller, carried the baby, and went to stand on one of the lines moving through the cages. But a few minutes later, when the soldier and a security guard arrived to operate the gate, they left the cage and were allowed to go through the Humanitarian Gate. Nevertheless, for some reason, the others entitled to use the gate were not allowed to go through it and were directed to join the lines moving via the cages. The situation was reversed within a few minutes, however, and the DCO soldier decided to open the gate for all those entitled to use it and, thereafter, allowed people to pass through immediately upon arriving.
At 6:35, when the lines were contained within the cages, we joined one of them and passed through the security checking 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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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