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Qalandiya, Thu 20.12.12, Morning
Observers: Sheila B. and Judy E
We arrived in Qalandiya at 06:05. The line extended out to the parking lot. The Ecumenical observer said that before 06:00 it had been going quite smoothly but at the shift change at 06:00, the turnstiles had stopped for about 10 minutes resulting in the back-up. The transition to new shifts seems to create unnecessary problems including unreasonable delays and an atmosphere conducive to bad behaviour, near riots, and unnecessary delays, especially critical due to the inclement weather. The policeman on duty appeared exhausted and was impolit.
The vehicle crossing was moving well and the humanitarian gate functioned so well that it only took the Ecumenical observer a bit more than 30 minutes to complete the crossing.
The basic problem at Qalandiya remains. There are too many people waiting to be processed in a system which was created to process far fewer. Solutions might include increasing the number of personnel during the peak hours of the morning, opening more lines, and reorganizing the checkpoint to enable people to move through the checkpoint in a reasonable manner.
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-11-2026Qalandiya. Ambulances wait in front of a closed checkpoint
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