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Germany’s Green Party has threatened to torpedo plans put forward by likely incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz to invest hundreds of billions of euros in defence and infrastructure.

Merz, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged the biggest in February’s legislative elections, wants in particular to relax the strict limits imposed by the “debt brake” in Germany to invest more in defence and security. His proposal comes as the country’s economy experiences prolonged stagnation and United States President Donald Trump’s direct overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left Europe feeling vulnerable on security.

The proposed constitutional changes to ease strict borrowing limits in the area of defence and establish a 500-billion euro ($542bn) fund for infrastructure had been described as historic when they were presented last week.

“We will not let this happen, and we will not let Friedrich Merz and Lars Klingbeil]of the Social Democratic Party] abuse a difficult situation in European security”, Franziska Brantner, co-leader of the Green Party, told reporters on Monday.

“This is something that serves neither the country nor our interests in Europe”.

Germany’s constitutional “debt brake”, which has been the hallmark of Berlin’s fiscal policy since it was introduced by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009, limits new borrowing to 0.35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Merz’s proposal would exempt military spending from that rule – setting no upper limit for “necessary defence spending”.

The changes would also establish the fund for infrastructure to be spent over 10 years and ease spending rules for Germany’s federal states and local government.

Merz needs the support of the Greens to get the two-thirds majority he requires in the current parliament for any constitutional changes, such as the easing of the borrowing limits.

He is attempting to rush through the changes even as he remains in talks with likely coalition partners the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

That is because in the next parliament, which convenes at the end of the month, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) and the left-wing Die Linke will have more than a third of seats. They will therefore be able to block the changes.

The AFD on Monday lodged urgent legal motions with the constitutional court challenging Merz’s attempt to have the current parliament consider the spending package.

Although the Greens were in favour of reforming Germany’s strict constitutional spending limits, the changes proposed by Merz were not the ones needed, Green leader in the Bundestag, Katharina Droege, told reporters.

Merz and his partners from the SPD were creating a “treasure chest” to fund their political priorities, including tax cuts, Droege said.

“Whoever wants our approval for more investment must also show that it is really about more investment in climate protection, more investment in the economy in this country”.

Felix Banaszak, also co-chairman of the party, said that the Greens would prepare their own legislative motion on security and defence, and that the party was ready to seriously discuss security and defence capabilities in Germany.

However, he described the CDU and SPD’s manoeuvres to gain the party’s support as “blackmail”.

“The aim is to reach a common solution”, he said, adding that pressure was on Merz to consult the other parties in the Bundestag or parliament.

Reacting to the Green Party’s decision, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said he took its concerns about changing the country’s constitution “very seriously” and promised to continue discussions to convince the Greens.

“From the conversations I had with them last night, I’m not surprised that we’re not yet on a common denominator, but the priority now is to get together and have confidential discussions”, he said.

“I think we are all aware of the importance and the potential repercussions of this decision”, he added.

Joerg Kukies, the country’s current minister of finance, said the Greens have legitimate points.

“I hope there will be more talks with the Greens to convince them to support the debt-brake reform”, he told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

After the first debate on Merz’s proposal on Thursday, the constitutional amendments are set to be voted on by Bundestag members on March 18.

Merz’s CDU and the SPD, currently in talks to form a government, need the support of the Greens to reach the two-thirds majority required in the Bundestag for the constitutional revision.

Israel says it has cut off electricity to Gaza in what seems like another attempt to force Hamas to accept changes it wants to impose upon the ceasefire terms agreed in January.

Israel imposed a blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza early in March in an attempt to force Hamas into extending the ceasefire’s first phase and releasing more captives.

It wants to do that to avoid moving to the second phase, which would entail a permanent end to the war.

Aid agencies, human rights organisations and countries, including some of Israel’s allies, have denounced the decision, citing its humanitarian impact and international laws prohibiting the collective punishment of a civilian population.

But according to statements from Gaza and media reports, this power cut announcement is not as it seems.

Here’s everything we know:

What exactly did Israel announce?

It said all electricity it provides to Gaza will be cut.

In a social media post on Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said he had “cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip immediately”.

“Enough with the talk, it’s time for action”! he said on the day before another round of ceasefire negotiations in Doha.

However, according to Israeli media, the announcement may be less dramatic than its proponents have made it appear.

You mean Gaza won’t go dark?

It was already dark.

According to&nbsp, The Times of Israel, all electricity from Israel into Gaza was already cut in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, during which 1, 139 people were killed in southern Israel and about 250 people were captured and taken to Gaza.

In November, the electricity supply to a desalination plant near Deir el-Balah in central Gaza was restored. The plant supports about 600, 000 mostly displaced civilians in central and southern Gaza.

The plant will now subsist on stored power, generators and what remains of the solar panels not damaged or destroyed by Israeli shelling.

Did Israel only cut electricity and aid?

No.

In its attempt to revise the terms of the ceasefire it signed in January, Israel has also launched military strikes across the enclave and has told the media it is preparing a resumption of fighting in Gaza.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has&nbsp, issued daily summaries of civilians killed during the ceasefire. &nbsp,

Palestinians&nbsp, in Rafah, where Israel now wants to keep a military presence&nbsp, in violation of the ceasefire, have been attacked by Israeli tanks and drones since Friday, killing at least three people and wounding more.

How has Hamas responded?

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Hamas accused Israel of “cheap blackmail”.

“We strongly condemn the occupation’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza, after depriving it of food, medicine, and water”, Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, wrote, characterising the move as “a desperate attempt to pressure our people and their resistance”.

“Cutting off electricity, closing the crossings, stopping aid, relief and fuel, and starving our people, constitutes collective punishment and a full-fledged war crime”, al-Risheq added.

Who supports Israel in this?

The United States.

Israel says its current blockade of Gaza is in fact to force Hamas to comply with a proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff involving extending the first phase of the ceasefire and returning a number of the Israeli captives.

Witkoff has yet to publicly confirm his role in the plan he is widely credited with having devised.

However, speaking to journalists before Monday’s talks in Doha, Witkoff confirmed his and the US administration’s continued full support for Israel, up to and including joint US and Israeli military action against Hamas.

At the same time, &nbsp, the US is conducting direct talks with Hamas over the release of five captives with US citizenship who are held by the group, only one of whom is thought to be alive.

Who doesn’t support Israel in these blockades?

Pretty much everyone else.

Both Egypt and Qatar, who have mediated the ceasefire talks, as well as Saudi Arabia and Jordan released statements this month criticising the Israeli move to block food, medicine and fuel into the Strip.

“Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool”, France, Germany and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant last year, condemned the block on aid.

International rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have also condemned the renewed blockade, describing it as a breach of international law and a crime against humanity.

How could this affect the ongoing negotiations in Qatar?

That remains to be seen.

Hamas said in a statement it has “dealt flexibly” with mediators, including US envoy Adam Boehler, who is overseeing the direct talks on the US captives, and hopes to proceed to the agreed-upon stage two of the ceasefire.