Protesters want Israel's army chief out

JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Scores of Israelis demonstrated outside the home of Israel's army chief and called on him to resign for failing to bring Gilad Shalit home, organizers said.

Armed with posters and blowing whistles, demonstrators also gathered outside the home of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and called on the government to act to secure the release of the kidnapped Israeli army staff sergeant, Maariv reported Friday.

It was the first time Shalit supporters protested outside the home of Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the army's chief of staff, the Tel Aviv newspaper said.

Tzipi Neuman, one of the organizers of the protest, said Ashkenazi failed to live up to his promise and win the release of Shalit, who she said he described as "his soldier," Maariv said.

Protesters outside Ashkenazi's home yelled out, "Chief of staff, you forgot a soldier in Gaza," the newspaper said.

Shalit was kidnapped by Islamic militants in a cross-border raid while on operational duty outside Gaza in June 2006, and has been held captive in the Gaza Strip for 1,139 days.