Qalandiya, Tue 3.9.13, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
As usual these days, long lines when we arrived at 05:40, reaching into the parking lot. All the lanes were open but operated very slowly, also as usual at this hour. We waited more than 10 minutes for the revolving gates to open for the first time since our arrival. We searched for a coin to bang on the metal to get the attention of the soldier in the “aquarium,” but then the whistles of those waiting succeeded in opening the gates. A duty policeman was in the “aquarium” but didn’t come out while we were there.
As soon as we arrived we met a new pair of Ecumenicals and also a pair of guys from Blue-White. All had many questions; our impression was that the young men from Blue-White hadn’t received any orientation at all about the checkpoints and their operation (one asked why we were there!).
The DCO soldier arrived at 06:10 (there was already a sizeable crowd at the humanitarian gate), opened it immediately and then whenever a few people were waiting.
The congestion at the checkpoint wasn’t reduced until 07:30, but from around 07:00 the revolving gates opened more frequently.
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 FleishmanJun-28-2026Qalandiya. The bridge leading from Jerusalem to the Qalandiya checkpoint
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