French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Friday he was excited to receive the news that kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit was alive and well and hailed Israel's gesture of releasing Palestinian female prisoners in return for a video clip proving Schalit's condition, Israel Radio reported Friday afternoon. The French government called for the immediate and unconditional release of Schalit, which it called a "French-Israeli soldier." Schalit holds dual French-Israeli citizenship.