Qalandiya, Tue 6.8.13, Morning
Translation: Judith Green
Another morning of long lines (continuing deep into the parking lot when we arrived at 5:45); the pace of the progress was slow. This time, we tracked a random man (with a brightly colored shirt), from the end of the line until he crossed through the second turnstile into the inspection corridor. the time: 35 minutes to get to the inspection procedure. The humanitarian gate opened a bit after 6:00, when there were already 10 people next to it; afterward, it opened each time that a similar number of people accumulated. At 6:30, the pace increased and, by 7:00, the lines had shortened and were contained within the "cages".
When we were about to leave, at 7:00, an elderly woman came up to us and nervously asked for our help (in English). she had an invitation for an appointment at Hadassah Hospital, but had forgotten her permit at home. We asked the DCO officer who was present to clarify her status on the computer and to her pass by without the physical permit in hand. He took her identity number, immediately found out in a telephone call that the DCO had given her a permit, and left her in the hands of a young soldier who escorted her to the inspection area to make sure that she got through successfully.
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-12-2026Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
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