Israeli soldiers forced Palestinian families from their homes in Hebron in the occupied West Bank overnight Friday, taking control of the properties, marking houses with X signs and hanging Israeli flags from balconies. Troops also blocked roads and closed a nearby checkpoint, restricting movement in the neighborhood as the military expanded its presence in the area. The operation followed an attack Friday in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others before being shot dead by Israeli forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened a major military offensive following the attack.