Ar-Ram, Atarot, Bir Nabala, Jaba (Lil), Qalandiya, Sun 17.2.08, Afternoon
A-Ram CP: No Palestinians and no lines.
15:15 Qalandiya: Two pedestrian
passages (1 & 4) were operating, both of them very crowded with
about 50 people in each line. Our first reaction was to contact
the Humanitarian Hotline. We spoke with Dalia and asked her to
have the authorities open another line to speed passage. We timed
the wait in Passageway No. 1 at 12 minutes and in Passageway No. 4 at
15 minutes. No one was waiting in the DCO line but we could see
that three or four people were sitting on benches, waiting in the shed
to enter the DCO.
The two passageways that were operating remained crowded during our
entire shift and a third passageway was not opened. At 15:50 we
noticed that a man was waiting in the DCO passageway (supposed to remain
open until 16:00) and, despite his efforts, he was unable to attract
the attention of the soldiers controlling the passage. We phoned
the DCO and were told that they would open the carousel, but nothing
happened. Suddenly we caught sight of a soldier in the Passage
5 control room. She began to explain that the DCO was already
closed (although it was not yet 4 PM). It appears that an attempt
is being made to reduce even further the hours during which the DCO
offices are open. In any event, the fellow who was waiting was
allowed to enter. As soon as he reached the shed he shouted back
to tell us that the people sitting on the benches had been waiting since
3 PM and still not managed to enter the offices.
A woman carrying an infant in a carry-cot
got in line in Passageway 4. It was unclear how she would get
through the carousel with the baby. We called the DCO and asked
them to send the DCO representative to open the "humanitarian gate"
for her. After several minutes Hussam appeared and let the woman
through. After that he saw that the people waiting in the shed
got in to the DCO.