International Checkpoint Watch - Daily Observations

Date:  July 02, 2001                                 Time:  17:00-18:00

Place Observed:  Qalandia Checkpoint

Number of Soldiers Present:  two young soldiers, one reservist, one up in bunker. 

Events Witnessed:

17:00  Cars are backed up leaving Ramallah all the way up into Qalandia refugee camp.  The road into Ramallah is clear.   

The soldiers are stopping a car every two minutes or so to conduct a quick search of its trunk, but rarely take more than twenty seconds per car.  They are not asking people for their IDs.

The soldiers offer us water and grapes.  We decline.

The reservist approaches us and inquires as to how long we would be staying.   

17:20 The road is completely opened, going both ways.

18:00  We leave but obtain the mobile number of a service driver in order to inquire as to the status of the road after our departure. 

At 7:30, the road was still clear.