Qalandiya, Thu 17.5.12, Morning
When we arrived at 6:05, the lines were very long but when the shift came on duty fifteen minutes later, the lines all began to move rapidly. One has to ask the question as to why these lanes cannot be monitored and opened sooner rather than waiting for the new shift.
A group of MP cadets came to tour the facility and saw the rather large number of Palestinians waiting to pass through the check point, a dramatic sight for them to encounter.
When we questioned why a very ill man had to wait to go through the humanitarian gate we were rudely informed that there are rules and he must wait until they are ready and prepared to allow him and the group to pass through. Eventually, the whole group was ushered through.
One man suggested that the lines at this checkpoint seem to be getting longer with more and more people passing through.
Given this situation, it seems only reasonable to demand more lanes for both foot and vehicular traffic. In addition, there is only one line for students which exacerbates an already tough situation.
In our opinion, the facilities at Qalandia are simply insufficient to meet the needs of a growing population, causing unnecessary resentment and anger.