Qalandiya - Crowding of vehicles and pedestrians, invitation to disaster.

A fluid and quiet morning

We reached the checkpoint at 6:00 a.m., left it just after 7:00, and in between, it was a totally fluid and quiet morning. Some people greeted us "Good morning" in Hebrew or Arabic, but no one approached us to ask for help or just report on something that may have occurred when we were not on duty. Our passage through the security check was also swift and smooth. The number of school pupils passing through the checkpoint seemed to be more than usual, but that was just our impression (we did not count them).

Since our last shift at Qalandiya, after which we reported at length about the problems the bridge places before elderly people, the powers that be made the approach to and exit from it even more difficult for those moving in both directions. What's more, due to laying the groundwork for residential construction in the area of the former airport (adjacent to the bridge), the buses and taxis now crowd together, pointing in varying directions, close to the entry to/exit from the bridge. The result is the constant movement of vehicles and pedestrians in the same very limited space. As we see it, this situation invites tragedy, sooner or later. We recommend that those responsible for the checkpoint visit this area at peak hours and see for themselves, so that after the fact they won't have to stand before a commission of inquiry.