A United States (US) robotics company backed by Eric Trump, son of President Donald Trump, is holding talks with the Israeli military to deploy humanoid robots in what they described as Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza, with the machines potentially being used in combat operations.
Foundation Future Industries co-founder and president Mike LeBlanc told an international media outlet that he had met senior Israeli military officials in September for preliminary discussions and visited tunnels with the company’s Phantom MK1 robot.
LeBlanc added that the company was in direct discussions with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff and was considering supplying up to 1,000 robots.
The Israeli military referred questions to the defence ministry, which declined to comment.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier this year that the military had destroyed more than 80 percent of Hamas-built tunnels in areas under its control since October 2023.
LeBlanc explained that the company’s autonomous machines could perform tasks such as detecting trip wires and disabling booby traps. He also described combat as a potential role for the robots, arguing that they could reduce the risks faced by soldiers entering buildings and underground passages.
The prospect of autonomous machines being used in lethal operations has raised concerns among critics who oppose allowing artificial intelligence to make life-and-death decisions.
Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defence programme at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, said that international discussions on the use of lethal humanoid robots remained unresolved.
Eric Trump joined Foundation as its chief strategic adviser in March and holds an equity stake in the company. He was also among its early investors. The start-up was established in 2024.
LeBlanc said that Foundation and a company it acquired had received more than $70 million in US military contracts and funding for testing and development. This included a Pentagon procurement contract awarded after Eric Trump joined the company.
The company’s government contracts have drawn scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned the relationship between the Pentagon and companies linked to the Trump family.
LeBlanc denied that Eric Trump’s involvement helped secure the contracts and said he expected to face questions from Congress.
An Eric Trump spokesperson maintained that he had no role in Foundation’s management, operations or government contract negotiations.
