Qalandiya, Sun 17.5.09, Morning
06.45 Qalandiya – There were many people in the waiting area. Also next to the humanitarian gate , about 150 people were waiting. There was a tension in the air. One of the ecumenical workers shouted at Ronnie that this is impossible and ask her to speak to her Israeli friends to open. Ronnie tries to answer but he kept shouting.
7.10 The turnstile opened to let only 4 people through. Shouts and pushing. People shove and try to jump in. A policeman stands with his back to us and it is impossible to speak to him. We phoned to whoever it was possible to phone and after half an hour I., the commander arrived and began to open the humanitarian lane.
7.40 The ordinary turnstile is opened and 5 people go through. According to the documentation of the ecumenical workers the turnstiles opened less than in previous days. People are angry because only the humanitarian lane is advancing.
In the meantime also D., the commander of the checkpoint arrives. He said that they had made various suggestions to the army as to how to improve conditions but it is in their hands and "we" have not more to do with this. There is a very hard and hostile atmosphere in the entrance.
8.30 There are still three long lines, also the passage to the turnstiles. Those standing in the lines and say to us," Why are you here? You just look at us and you do nothing ".
9.30 The lines shrink.
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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