Palestinian Suspect Stabs 7 In Tel Aviv Bus Attack

Israeli officials are reporting that seven people were stabbed on a Tel Aviv bus during Wednesday morning rush hour before the Palestinian suspect was shot by local police.

The attack, which is being described as an act of terror, happened Wednesday morning on the bus route that travels to Tel Aviv University. The suspect, described as a 23-year-old Palestinian from Tulkarm in the West Bank, reportedly stabbed the bus's driver and five other passengers before fleeing.

Security footage shows the suspect then stabbing a female passerby outside of the bus as he attempts to flee on foot. Nearby Israeli police then successfully shot the suspect in the leg, rendering him immobile in the street. 

"The terrorist had murder in his eyes," Orly, a passenger on the bus, told Israel Radio, as reported by Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the attack, saying it is "a direct result of venomous incitement disseminated in the Palestinian Authority against Jews and their country."

Local hospitals report that of the seven stabbed, four remain in critical condition due to their injuries.

According to YNet News, the Hamas group has welcomed Wednesday's attack as a "heroic and courageous act."

"We were in our car behind the bus," an eyewitness to Wednesday's attack told Ynet News. "Suddenly we saw people getting off and running, screaming, and crying hysterically. We didn't know what to do. We were scared he was going to come towards us. Several ambulances arrived and they just evacuated everyone."