Police arrested and detained a 9-year-old boy from Wadi Joz in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, without allowing his parents to meet with him. Part of the time the child was held in a squad car, and during questioning he was asked if he wanted to be a martyr.

Undercover operatives stopped their patrol car near the boy and his older brother, 12, on Tuesday at around 7:30 P.M., and arrested them both. According to police, the boys had just thrown rocks at a bus.

By law, children under 12 years of age, the age of criminal responsibility, may not be arrested or detained.

The children were taken by squad car to National Police Headquarters, where family members saw them in the vehicle in the parking lot. At 11:30 P.M. the children were taken to the Shalem police station. The 9-year-old was not released to his parents until 3:30 A.M.

The police brought the older brother to court yesterday and requested a three-day remand, but the judge ordered him released under restrictions. On Monday, the children’s two cousins, ages 13 and 15, were arrested.

Police responded that the two boys had been caught throwing stones at a bus and were “immediately removed from the area to prevent further disturbance of the peace.” Police said the parents were summoned to the police facility where the children were, and “after investigation the minor below the age of criminal responsibility was released and a report made to welfare authorizes regarding him.”

An earlier version of this article mistakenly reported that the boy's age was 6. The mistake has been corrected.