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Qalandiya, Tue 26.6.12, Morning
Observers: Avital T., Ina F. (reporting)
Lines are again extending out to the parking lot when we arrive at 6 a.m. We are told by a senior Civil Administration officer, whom we had never met before but who approaches us to talk about the improvements at Qalandiya, that all five checking stations have been open since 5 a.m. The Humanitarian Gate is opened at 2-10-minute intervals, but those who pass through it are held in the inner courtyard before being released to join the line of Sleeve 5. High school seems to be in recess, as very few students are lined up at the Humanitarian Gate.
Despite the upbeat report by the officer (who left soon thereafter), we are a bit dismayed by the persistently long lines. At 06:40 we begin to track a man about to enter the left-hand cage-like passage. It takes him 15 minutes to traverse that passage and join the line in Sleeve 2 and another 10 minutes to get through the turnstile of Sleeve 2 – all together 25 minutes in these two sections of the waiting line. During the morning there are occasional signs of the tension familiar to us from the bad old days: whistles and calls to open the turnstiles and let people through. On the other hand, random conversations with people on line elicit responses that the situation has improved.
When we leave at 07:30, the lines no longer extend beyond the three cage-like passages. Nevertheless, this morning was a far cry from the ease and flow we witnessed two weeks ago, when the opening of all five sleeves at 5 a.m. was first instituted.
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 FleishmanJul-21-2026Qalandiya. Conversation in the shadow of the wall
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