Qalandiya - Long queues, crowded cages and exhausted people
A bad start to the working week.
05.15. On arrival we saw very few people coming out of the checkpoint. This was already the sign of a slow checkpoint . Indeed, when we entered, there were three queues stretching from inside the shed all the way to the street.
All five checking stations were open, but we do not know at what hour they first began, and the checking procedure was excruciatingly slow. Although the soldier operating the turnstiles did so regularly, there was a limit to how many people she could add to the already long lines at each station.
The cages were crowded with people pushing forward at each turn of the turnstile, anxious to make as much progress as possible. At one stage the lines collapsed completely
It took almost an hour before they re-formed into almost orderly lines. You can see how people were grasping the wires at the entrance to the cage.
At 6.05, a replacement arrived for the turnstile operator, and a guard arrived and began preparations for opening the Humanitarian gate. He was followed at 6.15 by a D.C.O. officer together with two (apparently) trainees. Then there came another guard and a policeman. It seemed to be quite a pleasant event socially, but of course could not influence what was happening at the checking stations.
Many people chose to sit outside and just wait.
An unusual incident occurred: the guards seemed at one stage to be arguing with a man at the gate, and actually came out onto the “Palestinian” side to persuade him to move away. It is the first time we have seen Israeli staff coming out of their “safety zone.”
At 8 o’clock the D.C.O. staff closed the gate and departed with the guards, leaving the policeman. There were still people waiting so we asked the policeman if the gate was now permanently closed. He signaled us to wait, and finally at 8.23 opened it for quite a crowd who had by now gathered. He said it was then closed and everyone should join the regular lines. When we pointed out that there was a parent with a child, he said “tell that to your friends.”
Finally, at 8.50, the lines were short enough for us to join one and it took about 20 minutes for us to pass through. But the picture above shows the exhaustion of some of those who endure this daily.
During the morning we went outside and saw that the building works are proceeding quickly. There seems to be a circular paved driveway. The surroundings, however, are still very rough and it makes it difficult walking approaching the shed. We had noticed when we arrived that the elderly beigel-seller was absent and we wonder whether it is simply too difficult for him to make his way through, to reach the shed. Although we looked for him outside, we could not see him. When we asked about him the kiosk-seller said he was ‘sick.’ Also the renovations must make it very difficult for him to push his heavy load.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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