Explosives were found on two other buses but did not detonate, police spokesman Asi Aharoni told Channel 13 TV. Israeli police said the five bombs were identical and equipped with timers, and said bomb squads were defusing the unexploded bombs.
Investigators in white coveralls searched for evidence inside the burned-out metal shells of the buses, which blew up in a parking lot in Bat Yam, a city outside Tel Aviv.
The city's mayor, Tzvika Brot, said it was a miracle no one was hurt. The buses had been parked after finishing their routes, he said.
The head of the bus company said they immediately ordered all bus drivers to stop and conduct a “thorough inspection.” They resumed their routes once they were found to be safe, Ofir Karni said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was receiving updates from his military secretary and following the events. The Shin Bet internal security agency was taking over the investigation, police said.
“We need to determine if a single suspect placed explosives on a number of buses, or if there were multiple suspects,” police spokesman Haim Sargrof told Israeli TV.
Sargrof said the explosives used Thursday matched explosives used in the West Bank, but he declined to elaborate.
