Qalandiya, Tue 6.9.11, Morning
Once again long lines (we estimate over 200 people) extend to outside the covered waiting area, and a large crowd (of 30-40) stands in front of the Humanitarian Gate when we arrive at 6:15. 
A familiar colleague from the World Council of Churches’ EAPPI program who has been at the checkpoint since 5:00 informs us (and we have no reason to doubt him, as we have seen an earlier instance of the same with our own eyes) that the woman soldier responsible for opening the turnstiles was in a deep sleep before the shift changed at 6 a.m. – and thus the heavy backup this morning. We call the Humanitarian Hotline and the DCO to ask about the absence of a Civil Administration officer — and thus the Humanitarian Gate not being operated – and one arrives soon thereafter. Speaking fluent Arabic, he queries every male at the Humanitarian Gate about his age before letting groups of people though. For the most part, however, the gate is opened each time about 7-10 people are gathered in front of it. In contrast, the three turnstiles are opened less often. And although all five checking stations are open, the long lines leading into the cage-like passages persist until well after 7:00. A man whose cell number we took at 6:30, when he was standing at the end of one of the three lines, subsequently told us that it took him 55 minutes to traverse the checkpoint. When we leave at 7:15, all three passages remain full.
From what we could see (and were told) upon arrival, the lack of supervision – at least of the soldier responsible for opening the turnstiles – prior to the arrival of a CA officer sometime after 6:00 (and that sometimes only after we have called the DCO) continues to be the source of early-morning problems. We have commented on this a number of times, to no avail. Can it be that no one cares?
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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