West Bank, March 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Ofer military court extended the detention of a 13-year-old Hebron boy for more than nine days, after his father failed to pay a fine of 2,000 shekels (US$500) required by the court for the release his son. The boy was suspected of throwing stones at Israeli occupation soldiers.

An Israel Occupation Forces soldier detained the boy and his 11-year-old brother on the afternoon of Feb. 27 in Hebron's Old City. The boys' father tracked down his younger son and was able to bring him home around 10 p.m., while he was unable to release the older one.

The older brother was transferred earlier that day to the police station in the settlement of Kiryat Arba, then later moved to Ofer Prison, southwest of Ramallah. At that time, his father was prevented from seeing him.

Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing the other inmates at Ofer that day, told Haaretz she was stunned to see "a scrawny redheaded child in the suspects' cage."

The judge set fine at NIS 2,000, a sum the father said he is unable to pay. A ruling on the boy's status will be handed down Sunday.

The father said that his younger son was hospitalized Thursday, after showing signs of psychological trauma.