Israel’s initiative to create a new regional bloc, the “Hexagon of Alliances,” may represent an attempt to reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and contain the growing influence of Muslim states in an emerging multipolar world.
Introduction
Even China facilitated negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, setting a precedent for others to follow suit. However, this all went astray when Israel launched a full-scale invasion of Gaza in October 2023, which altered the regional status quo, compelling Iran and its like-minded Muslim partners to start their struggle against Israel and the US. In the meantime, as of February 2026, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has introduced the idea of establishing a new grouping named “Hexagon of Alliances” to encircle key Muslim countries, which could become a threat to Israel in the near future.
What is the Hexagonal Alliance?
Israeli PM Netanyahu announced the creation of an Israel-led alliance against radical Muslim factions in the region just two days before the visit of Indian PM Modi to Israel. Entitled “Hexagon of Alliances,” PM Netanyahu mentioned, “This alliance would include Israel, India, Greece, and Cyprus, along with other unnamed Arab, African, and Asian states.” The proposition of this alliance does not come up as an immediate step; rather, Israel has been strengthening its foothold in the region for the past few years. In 2021, under the leadership of PM Yair Lapid and US President Joe Biden, Israel launched a quadrilateral grouping called “India-Israel-UAE-US” (I2U2) to foster economic cooperation and further strengthen Arab-Israel relations. Experts called it a ‘West Asian QUAD.’ Although this minilateral grouping was mainly centered around economic relations, it became the first step by Israel to embed the UAE and India into its regional strategic posture.
Moreover, under the Trump 2.0 administration, in December 2025, Israel signed a security pact with Greece and Cyprus in the Mediterranean. In addition, Israel is very closely working with the UAE in Yemen against Saudi-led proxies. Israel also became the first country in the international arena to recognize Somaliland, a separatist faction of Somalia. Later on, Indian PM Modi visited Israel on 25 February 2026 at a very critical time, which itself showed India’s strategic inclination towards Israel. Although PM Netanyahu emphasized the central position of India in his proposed alliance, the Modi administration has not yet publicly responded to the proposal. If formed in the near future, this grouping would prove to be a game changer, to which analysts are saying a ‘Mediterranean NATO’ is in the pipeline.
Strategic Drivers of the Alliance
The international system is transitioning from the unipolar moment towards a multipolar world order, which is characterized by multiple power centers in the world. Due to this shift, anarchy is once again at the forefront of international relations, whereby every state, whether big or small, is searching for its security and survival. The rules-based international order created by the West has now deteriorated. This transitioning period marked by anarchy is characterized by the rise of middle powers and regional tigers. Every regional power is now trying to increase its sphere of influence to create a place for itself in the upcoming order. And Israel is no exception. Taking advantage of the current anarchic international order, Israel is determined to pursue its expansionist aims in the Middle East.
Under this global disorder, the Trump 2.0 administration is pursuing a foreign policy approach known as ‘conservative internationalism.’ It stipulates that the US would no longer play the role of global policeman. Instead of complete isolation, the US would now prefer selective participation in the international arena. The National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy of the US, launched in 2025 and 2026, respectively, are its best manifestation. The NSS categorically declared the Middle East an important but not a priority area of interest for the US. This has raised alarms in the Middle Eastern states, including Israel. In order to become strategically autonomous, Israel is now forming minilateral alliances without the overt inclusion of the US. In December 2025, PM Netanyahu stated, “The most crucial aspect is that we want to enhance our autonomous capabilities… The main goal is to lessen, if not completely get rid of, our reliance on outside sources, even if they are from close allies like the United States. I want us to be as independent as we can.”
Due to the increasing US unreliability and protectionist policies, Arab states have also realized that they should search for alternative security partners outside the US umbrella. This consciousness in the Arab world has somehow revived the dormant concept of the ‘Muslim Brotherhood,’ which Israel considers an existential threat. Its major proponents include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Somalia, Pakistan, etc. Thus, in September 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ (SMDA), which contends that an attack on one would be considered an attack on the other. Similarly, a high-level visit was made by Turkish President Erdoğan to Saudi Arabia for promoting economic and security relations. Turkish officials actually gave clues that they would like to have a trilateral agreement with KSA and Pakistan. Analysts view this development as the formation of a nascent ‘Islamic NATO.’
Objectives of the Alliance
PM Netanyahu has himself explained the very purpose of the alliance. According to him, “The goal here is to establish an axis of nations that agree on the facts, difficulties, and objectives against the radical axes, including the rising radical Sunni axis and the radical Shia axis, which we have hit very hard.” In the case of the radical Shiite axis, Israel has almost disrupted the entire network of Shiite proxies in the region. As of February 2026, both the US and Israel have launched joint operations against Iran, which is the last bead in the Shiite thread.
After Iran, Israel would head towards curbing Sunni Muslim states, which are the main contenders of the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt are all on the Israeli radar. As per the experts, Turkey could be the very next target after Iran. Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett has already stated that Turkey is the new Iran. However, it is quite debatable to compare Turkey with Iran and its proxies. Thus, the sole purpose of the alliance is to destroy or weaken any Islamic regime from becoming dominant in the region.
Strategic Implications
- If Israel became successful in forming the so-called alliance, the Muslim countries would be compelled to retaliate accordingly.
- Muslim states like the UAE are more inclined towards Israel, which could fuel internal hostilities between the Arab countries.
- Israel could become the ultimate regional power, while the Muslim world’s leadership would be contested between states like KSA, UAE, and Turkey.
- Israel could use regional proxies to destabilize Turkish borders, which would impact the Eurasian security and economic architecture – further escalating to the global level.
- If Turkey were the next target of Israel, then the existence of the NATO alliance would be at stake.
- Providing a central role to India in the alliance would compel Pakistan to retaliate, fueling unrest in the South Asian region.
Conclusion
The idea of the formation of a ‘Hexagon of Alliances’ seems like narrative selling by the Israeli PM. As of now, none of the states mentioned by PM Netanyahu have confirmed their official stance. But it is quite evident that Israel has always been cautious about its security and survival and has done everything to maintain it. Therefore, this should not be taken for granted by the Muslim world as well as the international arena. Major powers, including Russia and China, should play their role in maintaining the regional stability as they had in the past. The ongoing US-Israel attacks against Iran provide clear lessons to the Arab world. Muslim countries must anticipate the upcoming threats and strive for the preservation of regional law and order.
Taut Bataut is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics
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