Qalandiya, Sunday, 18.01.09 a.m.

Observers: Neta E, Magdelena H, reporting

Qalandiya 6:50 Hundreds of people wanting to cross the crowded checkpoint
were in the two lanes in front of the turnstiles. They are opened every few
minutes to the tens of people waiting. Inside, there are 5 checking posts.
It's crowded, noisy and very congested. There are also a lot of people crowded
into the humanitarian lane -- women, and children, but they are quickly opened
and everyone is able to get checked. As the lanes begin to empty out, they
quickly fill up again with new pedestrians. Suddenly, there was quiet and the
long lines were organized and quickly passed through the turnstiles. The
feelings and the terrible sight aroused associations that it is not pleasant to
think of. Embarrassing, it is difficult to look these people in the eye. A
Bedouin boy consulted with us about what to do about his family and their lands
on the other side of the checkpoint. Another man asked to check more quickly
because he had an appointment in a court in Tel Aviv for 8:30 and he was already
sent back twice and didn't know what to do.

On the way back, we drove on the other side of the wall. All the graffitti
disappeared or was erased. At the Ar Ram checkpoint, there were people from a
private security service and we crossed without difficulty. .

Location Description

Qalandiya Checkpoint

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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)

Apr-17-2024

Tamar Fleishman

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Qalandiya, יום א' 18.1.09, בוקר

Qalandiya, Sunday, 18.01.09 a.m.

Qalandiya: Ibrahim and behind him Abu-Abdallah