Civilian Citation Awarded to Sela’it Security Chief Who Stopped Gunman at Community Gate

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan today (Thursday) awarded a civilian citation to Roy Demati, the security chief of the community of Sela’it, for his role in neutralizing the terrorist who carried out the deadly shooting spree in the Sharon region. Demati opened fire at the terrorist after he reached the community gate and shot at him, preventing him from entering the community.

The shooting spree, which took place on Sunday, began at the gas station at the entrance to Kochav Ya’ir. The terrorist then continued to the communities of Tzur Natan and Tzur Yitzhak. The attack claimed the life of reserve soldier Chaim Klomיטי הי"ד and wounded five other people, two of them seriously. The terrorist was ultimately killed at the quarries in Tayibe, after exchanging fire with Demati at the gate of Sela’it.

Demati described the tense moments leading up to the confrontation: "The Samaria regional security officer, Hagai Yehoshua, called me just a few minutes before the terrorist reached the community and warned me that there were terrorists in the neighboring community. While I was looking into it, the terrorist suddenly appeared in front of me. I shouted to the security officer, 'They’re shooting at me!'".

According to him, the terrorist’s first bullet nearly hit him: "The terrorist’s bullet missed me by just a few centimeters. I jumped out of the position and fired at him. The terrorist came face to face with me, but thankfully he missed his first shot". Demati added: "I’m glad I was there and that this was the outcome. We’ll do whatever we can, and we will all continue to win".

The civilian citation was presented at a special ceremony held in the office of the Samaria Regional Council head. Many senior officials attended, including the commander of the Ephraim Brigade, Col. P., the regional defense officer of the Ephraim Brigade, reserve Lt. Col. M., Sela’it community chairman Eliran Emmanuel, chairman of the community’s security committee Amit Yakubovitz, Samaria Council security officer Yonatan Simchi, and the council’s regional security officer, Hagai Yehoshua.

Council head Dagan spoke at the ceremony: "We have all gathered here to salute you, to thank you, and to express our appreciation on behalf of all the people of the Samaria communities, on behalf of the entire people of Israel. As the community security chief, you risked your life, stood exposed under fire, and prevented much greater bloodshed than what could have happened. What you did, while taking a real risk to your life, is an example and a model, and so I am honored to award you a civilian citation in the name of Samaria and in the name of the entire people of Israel. Thanks to people like you, thanks to the IDF, thanks to the rapid response teams, together we will win".

Sela’it community chairman Eliran Emmanuel thanked Demati: "You prevented a much more serious attack. If the terrorist had gotten in, I don’t know what would have happened". Samaria Council security officer Yonatan Simchi used the opportunity to stress the importance of community security systems: "You can see how important the community’s security system is — community security chiefs, the rapid response team, and the guards at the entrance. Everything is built in circles. There is the army and all the emergency agencies, but in the end, the inner circle, the community circle, is critical and the last line".

Demati also addressed the challenges faced by community security chiefs in these communities: "The role of the community security chief is made up of many aspects, and community security chiefs have been on the front lines for a long time, especially after October 7. It’s important to strengthen them and support them". Reserve Lt. Col. M., the regional defense officer of the Ephraim Brigade, joined the praise and thanked Demati for his decisive action.