Palestinian 'bomber boy' charged

By Matthew Price
BBC correspondent in Jerusalem

Israel reports the boy says he was offered $20 to become a bomber

Israel has charged a 16-year-old Palestinian boy with attempted murder and possession of explosives.

Hussam Abdo was detained last month after being caught wearing a suicide bomb belt at a checkpoint near the West Bank town of Nablus.

It was the most public of arrests - a cameraman filmed as the tearful teenager was ordered by soldiers to remove his shirt.

Underneath, an 8kg explosive vest was strapped to his body.

'$20 payment'

The Israeli military has released a statement they say the boy has made.

In it, he says he was approached by a man who asked if he would be willing to carry out a suicide bombing.

He was offered just over $20.

The statement says he was blindfolded and taken to a deserted house where the belt was prepared with four pockets full of explosives, nails and bits of metal.

A taxi driver then drove him to the checkpoint - but when it came to his turn to go through, he was stopped.

Hussam Abdo remains in custody. A date for his trial has not been set.