Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled what could become a new strategic bloc in West Asia - a "hexagon of alliances" - with India placed at its centre. The announcement was made on February 22 and released by Israel's foreign office. It comes at a time of increased regional tensions between Israel and Iran. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia too have signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement. The SMDA, signed in September 2025, is often described by analysts as an 'Islamic NATO' - with Turkey too said to be keen on joining.
Against this backdrop, Netanyahu has launched the Hexagon, proposing it to be a counterweight to what he called the "radical axes". India, Israel, Greece and Cyprus hae been identified as the core pillars of the Hexagon, while other Arab, African and Asian countries are expected to join the framework.
PM Modi will visit Israel on Wednesday, February 25 - his second visit to the country. During his visit, the two leaders are "expected to exchange perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the External Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on February 22, Netanyahu said, "In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a 'hexagon' of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won't detail at the moment. I will present this in an organised manner."
He explicitly stated who his adversaries were: "The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis. All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future."
The "radical Shia axis" includes Iran and its network of proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. The "emerging radical Sunni axis" refers to the extremist formations and evolving terror threats in the region.
Netanyahu's announcement goes beyond quiet understandings or ad-hoc cooperation. India, the UAE and Israel have worked together through arrangements such as the Abraham Accords and the I2U2 grouping. But no formal security architecture has been publicly framed in this manner.
By invoking a "hexagon of alliances", Netanyahu has signalled something more structured - potentially institutionalised cooperation in security, intelligence-sharing and defence.
Diana George is Associate Editor at Times Now, with over a decade of experience covering national and international news, crime, and local politics. S...View More
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