Niv Assaraf, arrested
Niv Assaraf, arrestedHadas Parush/Flash90

The Jerusalem Magistrates Court has arraigned 22 year-old Niv Assaraf on Friday, after he and friend Eran Nagauker faked his "abduction" and caused a national panic Thursday night. 

Assaraf's detention has been extended for four more days, and Nagauker until Monday. 

ניב אסרף וחברו - בהארכת מעצר

Justice Chen Avital stated during the hearing that "this is an irresponsible act [...] especially after the recent past, when the boys were kidnapped and killed in the incident took place near the area."

Avital was referring to the heinous abduction and murder of Israeli teens Naftali Frankel (16), Gilad Sha'ar (16), and Eyal Yifrah (19) in June 2014, a series of events that also contributed to the escalations behind Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. 

On Thursday, Nagoker falsely reported to police that Assaraf had gone missing after entering the Arab village of Beit Anoun to look for spare car parts; the two had allegedly been stopped on the road from Hevron due to a flat tire. 

Assaraf was found in a massive search effort on Thursday night; the move cost the IDF hundreds of thousands of shekels.