An Arab terrorist repeatedly stabbed a 32-year old Israeli man in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva on Monday.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. at the corner of Orlov Street and Bar Kochva.

Authorities say the assailant has been neutralized and taken into custody.

According to initial reports, the victim was stabbed in his neck and upper torso, and is now in moderate-to-serious condition. MDA emergency medical teams treated the stabbing victim at the scene, then evacuated him to Beilinson Hospital.

A police spokesperson has confirmed that the assailant is a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Qalqiliya, and that his victim is an Israeli citizen from the Israeli Arab city of Arara near Umm al-Fahm. The stabbing took place just outside a shwarma shop.

Police say that the 21-year old terrorist was illegally residing and working in pre-1967 Israel.

“The stabber attempted to flee by foot to Dov Yemeni Street,” a police spokesperson said. “A civilian spotted him and hit [the terrorist] with his car. Other civilians then subdued him and handed him over to a police unit.”

Based on the initial investigation, say authorities, the incident appears to be an act of terrorism.

“The suspect was an illegal resident in Israel,” the police spokesperson continued. “The initial findings suggest that the motivation behind the attack was nationalistic.”

MDA officials reported that the victim was fully conscious and in stable condition after the stabbing.

Tom Dagan, a member of MDA’s medi-cycle first responder unit, described the scene of the stabbing.

“Inside a food store we identified a 40-year old man. He was fully conscious and was sitting upright on a chair, suffering from stab wounds to his upper body. We provided him with lifesaving medical treatment, stopped the bleeding from his wounds, transported him onto an MDA mobile intensive care unit, and evacuated him to Beilinson Hospital in moderate-severe condition.”