Behind the scenes: How the Schalit deal came about

Hamas letter to Israel outlining prisoner-swap deal marked a turning point in negotiations; David Meidan, appointed chief Schalit negotiator three months earlier quickly noticed change in Hamas approach.
by Yaakov Katz
The main breakthrough came in July. After five years of negotiations, Hamas forwarded a letter to Israel in which, for the first time, it outlined its final terms for a prisoner swap for Gilad Schalit.