Qalandiya, Tue 21.5.13, Morning
There were short lines when we arrived at 05:50, which lengthened and shortened again and again, until we left at 07:15. All five inspection booths were open, but it seemed as though the inspection pace was quite a bit slower than in previous weeks. Our friends, the Ecumenical Accompaniers, who count how many people go through every hour, told us that the number of people going through between 6-7 was about 20% more than usual for this hour.
The humanitarian gate opened at 06:15 and afterwards, every time that people lined up by it. Occasionally we saw people hesitating at the head of the line, whether or not it was worth waiting next to it, or to stand in the lines going through the cages. One woman, who was on her way to the humanitarian gate, which was empty at that time, asked the DCO soldier in charge if he would open it for her, and he sent her back to the regular line. For a few minutes, no one approached the gate, until a first grade boy (perhaps second grade, judging by his size) took the initiative, left the regular line and boldly approached the humanitarian line. Immediately, a stream of students and women followed him.
Before we left, a female soldier in one of the inspection booths screamed incessantly in Hebrew at one of the people going through. Because of the great noise that she made (through the loud speaker), it was impossible to understand what she was saying. One of the Palestinians there guessed (not clear on what basis) that the soldier was screaming at a woman who didn't have a permit, and ordered her to go back. But no one went back at that booth. We asked the DCO soldier if he knew what was happening. He answered that he would check. But he didn't get back to us with any answer. Since the woman (if it really concerned a woman) did not go back to the waiting area, we couldn't find out anything about the event.
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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