THE militant group Hamas yesterday agreed to co-operate with the Palestinian Authority in ensuring a smooth transition during the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinians will deploy security forces along the Gaza-Israel frontier in coming days to prevent rocket fire and other attacks on Israeli towns, in the first act of security co-operation with Israel under Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, officials said today.

Israeli tanks, backed by helicopters, took control of the West Bank town of Tulkarem before dawn today, imposed a curfew and arrested dozens of suspected militants, the local governor said.