Day after Israel rejects ceasefire, bus explodes in Tel Aviv outside IDF Spokesperson office

Just after noon on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 a bus exploded in Tel Aviv near the office of Avital Leibovich, the official Israel military spokesperson. Israel's Channel 10 reported 18 were injured and checkpoints have been erected near the site of the attack. Commenting on Twitter Leibovich said,
 "A bus explodes under my Tel Aviv office. Possibly due to a bomb or suicide bomber. Hearing the sirens of the ambulances." Continuing, "Now hearing the sound of an helicopter circling in the air and police asking
 people to clear the scenes." More

israel Says Bomb Blast Hits Bus in Tel Aviv 
A bomb ripped through an Israeli bus near the nation's military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, wounding at least 10 people, Israeli officials said.

The attack came as diplomats, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, shuttled around the region to try to broker a cease fire following a weeklong Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza that has killed more than 130 Palestinians. Militant rocket fire into Israel has killed five Israelis.

At least 25 injured, 5 seriously, in Tel Aviv bus bombing. Alert for more attacks
 Magen David declared a multi-casualty episode following a bombing attack on a bus in the Tel Aviv main street of Shaul Hamelekh Blvd. Wednesday, Nov. 21, in which at least 25 people were injured, five seriously.  An emergency has been declared in the area around the blast, focusing on the nearby Defense Ministry and ID General Staff headquarters and Ichilov hospital, where the staff were sent to bomb shelters. Tel Aviv’s huge Mercaz Azrieli mall, office and apartment building has just been closed and evacuated.
A witness of the bus bombing reported a man placing a package on one of the seats and exiting the bus. Another claimed the package was thrown into the bus through a window. A large dragnet, backed by helicopters, has been thrown around the area for suspects and abettors. The attack took place as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was closeted in Jerusalem for her second meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to discuss the stalled Gaza ceasefire talks in cairo.   debkafile: The Tel Aviv bus attack, recalling the 2000 Palestinian suicide bombing offensive plaguing Israel streets, could prompt an early Israeli decision to go forward with the IDF ground operation against Gaza terrorists.

Police have been on alert for terrorist attacks since last week when Hamas and Jihad Islami threatened to revert to their suicide bombing campaign inside Israeli towns.