JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A small bomb exploded on a crowded city bus in Israel's central city of Tel Aviv Wednesday noon, wounding at least 15, and the police is searching the area for suspects.
Four who sustained serious wounds were evacuated to the nearby Ichilov Medical Center, said Eli Bean, CEO of the Magen David Adom Emergency Service.
As roadblocks are set up and forensics probe is also underway, police sources declared the event a terror attack, saying two individuals set the bomb in the center of the vehicle and then fled either on foot or in a vehicle. A suspect apprehended by security forces in the vicinity earlier was released.
A city official told Xinhua that "Upon receiving news of the bombing, municipal teams were dispatched to the scene, including welfare, psychologists and social services to assist families of the victims."
Security forces are trying to keep onlookers from thronging the area, due to the possibility of more hidden bombs detonating, and also for the possibility of rocket attacks out of Gaza into the scene of the attack.
An Israeli government official told Xinhua that the prime minister's office is reassessing the operation in Gaza in light of the bombing.
"We are bolstering security in and around the city in order to prevent further attacks," Israel Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told Xinhua soon after the blast.
Gaza militants on Tuesday evening fired a rocket into an apartment building in the nearby suburb of Rishon L'Tzion, wounding at least one person who did not manage to enter the building's protected room after hearing the warning siren.
Other rockets in recent days hit within and around Tel Aviv.
The bombing took place on the heavily traveled Shaul Hamelech boulevard, not far from the Defense Ministry headquarters and a major shopping center and office complex.
The bombing comes amid international efforts to achieve a cease- fire between Israel and Hamas, and as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the country for deliberations with top officials.
On Wednesday morning, Hamas renewed rocket fire into Israel, with Israeli army forces pounding militant targets in response in order to quell the steel rain.
Hamas in the Gaza Strip had warned that it would begin a series of suicide bombings in revenge for Israel's military strikes on the Islamist group.
Tel Aviv has been witness to over two dozen similar bombings, particularly in the mid 1990's and in the first few years of the 21st century, which killed nearly 100 and wounded hundreds more. Hamas took responsibility for most of the attacks, including one outside of a dance club along the shore which killed 21 teens.
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