Qalandiya

Another crowded morning at Qalandiya.

We arrived before 05:15; there weren’t many lines.  But long lines quickly began forming, reaching to the parking lot.  The three open booths couldn’t handle the large number of people coming at this hour.  At about 05:25 a policewoman arrived and two additional inspection booths opened, but it was already too late.  The lines stretched far into the parking lot and did so for more than an hour, until about 06:30.

At one point we saw a father carrying a little girl hugging a teddy bear almost as big as she was.  Those on line told him to proceed to the entrance to the cages and allowed him to enter without waiting on line.  The few women who arrived also entered the cages from the side; the men allowed them in.  An older man with an infant arrived shortly before 06:00.  He said he had an appointment for surgery at 07:00.  Even though a line had already formed at the humanitarian gate they suggested he enter the cages from the regular line, on the chance it would be faster.  At about 06:00, when the humanitarian gate hadn’t yet opened, some of the women waiting there also gave up, moved to the regular line and went straight into the cages.

At about 06:10 a soldier arrived from the DCL and began admitting people through the humanitarian gate, and returned to do so as needed.  After he’d twice admitted a relatively large group he also opened the gate when only a few people stood there, without waiting until a larger group had formed.  He even allowed a man who’d left his cigarettes with a friend on the regular line to come out, get his cigarettes and return through the humanitarian gate to inspection booth number 5.

Meanwhile another policewoman and security guards had arrived.  At 06:30 there was some problem at booth number 5, which received those coming through the humanitarian gate.  A woman came to the area of the security forces and approached the soldier.  We weren’t able to determine what the problem was, but the soldier and a security guard went over to booth number 5, entered from the side and after a short time returned; it seemed as if the problem had been solved.

At 06:30 the lines had shortened and were restricted to the covered area and at 06:50 there were lines only in the cages.  We left.

The traffic at the plaza leading to the vehicle checkpoint was heavy, as usual.  We went through smoothly – only a look at our IDs and our guest’s passport.  The female soldier at the checkpoint even told us to “have a nice day.”