A Palestinian man has stabbed nine people on a commuter bus in central Tel Aviv before being shot in the leg by a prison officer as he ran off.

Police said the assailant stabbed the driver and passengers shortly after getting on the bus.

The victims were taken to Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital, where seven were admitted for treatment. Four were said to be seriously hurt.

Tel Aviv police commander Bentzi Sau told reporters: "Shortly after he boarded the bus, the assailant stabbed the driver several times.

"But there was an excellent response from him as he resisted the attack and in this way the terrorist was stunned."

Commander Sau said prison officers in a passing van saw the incident and gave chase.

Speaking to army radio, one of the officers, identified only as Benny, said: "We saw the bus swerve to the side... then stop at a green light.

"Suddenly, we saw people running out of the bus and when we saw them shouting for help we jumped out, and I and three others started running after the terrorist.

"At first we fired in the air, then at his legs. The terrorist fell, we handcuffed him and turned him over to police."

Police said the suspect was a 23-year-old from the town of Tulkarm in the West Bank who was staying in Israel illegally.

The stabbings were the latest in a series of attacks in recent months amid growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

The majority have been in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Last month a Palestinian woman was shot after knifing an Israeli in the southern West Bank.

In November three Americans, a Briton and an Israeli policeman were killed in an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue.

Last July a Palestinian teenager was burned to death by Jewish attackers, allegedly in revenge for the abduction and killing of three Jewish teenagers by Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.