Israel began setting up checkpoints in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem on Wednesday as it struggled to stop a wave of attacks that have raised fears of a full-scale uprising.

A police spokeswoman said checkpoints were being set up at "the exits of Palestinian villages and neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem," where most of the recent attackers have come from.

A wave of mainly stabbing attacks have spread fear in Israel, while a gun-and-knife attack on a Jerusalem bus on Tuesday killed two people.