What's Netanyahu’s ‘Hexagon of Alliances’ and why he wants India in it as PM Modi begins Israel trip today – explained

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Israel for a two-day state visit on from today. PM Modi's counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that PM Modi's trip will help forge a new alliance to counter what he described as “radical” adversaries.

“On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will arrive here; he will deliver a speech in the Knesset,” Netanyahu said Sunday at the opening of a cabinet meeting, referring to Israel's parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in response to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's cordial message, said that he looked forward to their discussions.

PM Modi visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu reciprocated with a visit to India the following year. Netanyahu said the Israel-India axis will be part of a wider regional alliance called ‘hexagon’ to counter common “radical” adversaries.

What is the ‘hexagon’ of alliances?

The ‘Hexagon of Alliances’ is a proposed six-nation strategic framework initiated by Netanyahu to strengthen economic, diplomatic, and security cooperation across West Asia and the Mediterranean. It aims at countering Iran's influence ("radical Shia axis") and other regional threats.

The bloc includes Israel, India, Greece, Cyprus, and undisclosed Arab/African nations.

“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,” Netanyahu said, adding that he will further elaborate on his plan in the future.

“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 Shiite axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis,” he said.

No government has endorsed the alliance yet

As of now, no government has endorsed this plan – or its sectarian framing. In fact, two of the three countries Netanyahu named – Greece and Cyprus – are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has an arrest warrant out for Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, and would be legally obliged to arrest him if he set foot there, Al Jazeera reported.

Andreas Krieg, associate professor of security studies at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli prime minister may be overselling his idea.

“The ‘unnamed Arab/African/Asian’ component may exist in the form of ad hoc security coordination and transactional diplomacy, but not necessarily in a way that resembles a NATO-style pact or treaty. It isn’t an alliance,” he said.

‘Counter to Axis of resistance’

Some reports suggest, Netanyahu is seeking to replicate what he describes as his “victories” against the “Shia axis” – also known as the “axis of resistance” – an informal, Iran-centred network of allied groups that oppose Israeli and Western influence in the Middle East.

At its core is Iran, which supports Hezbollah in Lebanon – long regarded as the region’s most powerful non-state actor aligned with Tehran before Israel killed much of its leadership in 2024.

During the war in Gaza, Israel was also engaged in bitter fighting with Iran-backed Shiite groups in the region that attacked Israel in support of Hamas, whose deadly 7 October 2023 assault on Israel sparked the war in Gaza.

Arch-foes Israel and Iran also faced each other in a first direct confrontation last June in a 12-day war in which the Israeli and US militaries targeted Tehran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missile arsenal.

“All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future,” Netanyahu said of the emerging alliance.

(With inputs from agencies)