Israeli troops killed a militant and Palestinians fired shells at an Israeli settlement in Gaza, the first violence since Palestinian security took control of Bethlehem in the latest step along the "road map" plan to end 33 months of intifadha. The Palestinian was killed trying to escape arrest in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya early Thursday and another man was captured. Palestinian security sources said the arrested man was Ibrahim Mansour, leader of the Brigades in Qalqiliya. Mahmoud Shawer, his assistant, was slain. The killing came shortly after four anti-tank shells landed in Kfar Darom, an isolated Israeli settlement in central Gaza now in Palestinian hands after an Israeli pullout on Sunday. That led Israel to close a main road linking Gaza City to the rest of the Gaza Strip that was opened Monday after the Palestinians were given control of the area. Opening it was a key Palestinian demand. Israel said the road would be closed for three hours. "This reflects what liars the Israelis are," said Ismail Kadoura a taxi driver sitting in the long traffic jam caused by the closure. "The occupation is still here and we are still here." In parallel, under terms of Israeli-Palestinian agreements worked out with U.S. involvement, Israel pulled troops out of Gaza and Bethlehem with a Palestinian pledge to use security forces to stop militants from carrying out attacks. Israeli Army Radio reported that Israel released nine Palestinian prisoners, but noted their sentences were up. Twelve more were to be released Thursday, the report said. Releasing prisoners is a key Palestinian demand. On Wednesday afternoon, Bethlehem police returned to their barracks, many of them pockmarked with bullets. Other police stations and outposts were gone, destroyed in repeated Israeli air strikes over the past 33 months of Israeli terrorism. While residents were happy to see their police return and the Israelis go, they complained that the changeover did not alleviate their main hardship, Israeli roadblocks keeping them out of the rest of the West Bank and away from their jobs in Israel. "It's great to see the police," said Qassam Abu Kamleh. "They're our brothers, our fathers and uncles. But if they really want peace, then open up the checkpoints and let us move." Israel closed off the West Bank and Gaza and put up dozens of roadblocks and checkpoints around Palestinian cities and towns shortly after uprising erupted in September 2000. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Palestinian special forces carry a Palestinian flag during a last training session in Bethlehem as part of preparations to take over the security control of the city from the Israeli army July 2, 2003. (Magnus Johansson/Reuters)