Qalandiya, Tue 17.4.12, Morning
When we arrived at 6 a.m., the lines leading into the three passages extend out to the parking lot, and only two of the five checking stations are open. A small crowd is also waiting by the Humanitarian Gate. Our colleagues from the EAPPI, who have been on site since 04:30, explain that the build-up began only close to 6 a.m. The Humanitarian Gate is opened at 06:15, and the crowd – including a larger number of pupils than usual at this early hour – is held in the inner court for another five minutes. Meanwhile, checking stations 4 and 5 have been opened, and the Civil Administration officer – who looks rather young but displays quiet self-confidence — moves those waiting at Sleeve #5 to other checking stations so as to dedicate Sleeve #5 to the people using the Humanitarian Gate.
The Humanitarian Gate is opened regularly until 07:20, when the Civil Administration officer leaves the site. For most of the time between 6 and 7:30a.m., lines extend to the back of the covered waiting area, though the turnstiles leading to the four available checking stations are opened regularly. And although they now include men, women, and school children who would otherwise be using the (now closed) Humanitarian Gate, the lines barely extend beyond the three cage-like passages when we leave at 07:30.
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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