Palestinians refuse to leave Gaza despite Trump's expulsion 'plan'

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have rejected and slammed Donald Trump's plans to turn the Palestinian enclave into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'.
18 min read
05 February, 2025
Last Update
06 February, 2025 03:38 AM

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have wholeheartedly rejected US President Donald Trump's plans to "take over" the enclave and expel its citizens from there, vowing to never leave the ruins of their homes.

"Trump can go to hell, with his ideas, with his money, and with his beliefs. We are going nowhere. We are not some of his assets," said Samir Abu Basel in Gaza City via a chat app.

"If he wants to resolve this conflict he should take the Israelis and put them in one of the states (in America). They are the strangers, not the Palestinians. We are the owners of the land," said the father of five, who has been displaced from his house near Jabalia on Gaza's northern edge.

"He spoke with much arrogance...he can test us, and soon he will find out his fantasies don't work with us."

World leaders also continued to react. Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that Gaza "belongs to the Palestinians".

"The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated," Baerbock said in a statement. "It is clear that Gaza -- like the West Bank and east Jerusalem -- belongs to the Palestinians. They form the basis for a future Palestinian state."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also echoed his German counterpart's sentiments, adding that Palestinians should be "allowed" to return home and rebuild.

Hamas, who govern Gaza, as well as other Arab leaders rejected Trump's shock proposal earlier, branding it a" racist" idea aimed at "eliminating" the Palestinian cause.

"The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right's position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.

Trump made his announcement to audible gasps during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late on Tuesday, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks.

Suggesting "long-term ownership" by the United States, Trump said his idea would make it "the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent."

Live coverage ended
3:37 AM

This concludes our live coverage, which returns at 0800am GMT.

Netanyahu: 'nothing wrong' with Trump's Gaza expulsion plan
3:16 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday there was nothing wrong in Donald Trump's idea to expel Palestinians from Gaza after the U.S. president's proposal was widely criticized internationally.

"The actual idea of allowing Gazans who want to leave to leave. I mean, what's wrong with that? They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza," Netanyahu said in an interview on Fox News.

Malaysia says Gaza expulsion would be ethnic cleansing
1:26 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Malaysia sees any proposal for the forced displacement of Palestinians as constituting ethnic cleansing and a violation of international law, the foreign ministry said on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza.

"Malaysia strongly opposes any proposal that could lead to the forced displacement or movement of Palestinians from their homeland. Such inhumane actions constitute ethnic cleansing and are clear violations of international law and multiple UN resolutions," the statement said.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff have no orders for troops in Gaza
12:43 AM
The New Arab Staff

The US Joint Chiefs of Staff have not received orders regarding troop deployment to Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing defence officials.

The report follows US President Donald Trump's proposal on Wednesday of occupying Gaza and expelling its Palestinian population.

Wall collapse kills one, injures several others in Gaza City
12:41 AM
The New Arab Staff

One person was killed and several others injured when a wall collapsed on a family in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Israeli forces block ambulances, food, water to Far'a camp
11:15 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces have continued to block the entry of ambulance crews, food and water supplies to the Far'a camp near Tubas in the occupied West Bank for several days, Palestinian media reported.

Israel sends reinforcements to assault on Tulkarm
11:13 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israel sent military reinforcements to Tulkarm on Wednesday evening amid a 10-day assault on the Palestinian refugee camp.

Egypt urges states to back two-state solution
11:10 PM

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday the international community must bear its responsibility to support the implementation of a two-state solution, according to a statement by the president's office.

The phone call comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said during a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that the United States would occupy Gaza and develop it economically after Palestinians were expelled elsewhere.

The statement by the Egyptian president's office made no direct mention of Trump's proposal and it was unclear if it was discussed with Macron.

Macron holds call with Syria interim President al-Sharaa
11:06 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron called interim Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Wednesday, the presidency said in a statement.

Macron mentioned the need to pursue the fight against terrorism, which he said is "for the benefit of the Syrian people as well as for the security of the French nation."

He also called for the full integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into Syria's transition process.

Khamenei names Hezbollah head as Lebanon 'representative'
11:05 PM

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as his "representative" in Lebanon, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

"The leader of the revolution in a decree introduced Sheikh Naim Qassem, secretary general of Hezbollah, as his representative in Lebanon," Tasnim news agency said.

US defence chief says 'all options' on table for Gaza
9:19 PM
The New Arab Staff

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he is prepared to look at all options with regards to Gaza.

The comments follow US President Donald Trump announcing that the US would be occupying Gaza and expelling the Palestinian population -- comments that US officials have appeared to walk back amid international backlash.

 

 

EU says Gaza 'integral' to future Palestinian state
9:08 PM
The New Arab Staff

A European Union spokesman has said that Gaza is an "integral part" of a future Palestinian state, amid fears that US President Donald Trump will attempt to occupy the enclave and expel its Palestinian population.

Several states have spoken out against the plan, which Trump mentioned while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Republican lawmakers slam Trump's Gaza occupation plan
9:04 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal that the U.S. take over the war-torn Gaza Strip prompted confusion and skepticism from some of his fellow Republicans on Wednesday, while others backed his "bold, decisive" idea.

"I thought we voted for America first," Republican Senator Rand Paul said on X.com. "We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood."

Republicans hold narrow majorities in Congress over Democrats, who rejected the idea outright. "That is ethnic cleansing by another name," Senator Chris Van Hollen said on MSNBC.

Genocide-accused Israel to boycott UN Human Rights Council
7:37 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday accused the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of "anti-Semitism" as he announced his government's boycott of the United Nations body.

"This body has focused on attacking a democratic country and propagating anti-Semitism, instead of promoting human rights," Saar said in a post on X, citing Israel being "the only country with an agenda item dedicated solely to it" and the subject of more resolutions "the Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela combined", adding that Israel "will not participate in the UNHRC".

Israel is currently accused at the World Court of committing genocide against the Palestinians, and three of its current and former leaders -- including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- are wanted by the International Court of Justice for alleged war crimes.

Trump has not committed to US troops in Gaza: White House
7:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump believes the United States needs to be involved in the rebuilding of Gaza "to ensure stability in the region."

"That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza," she said.

Leavitt also said Trump wants to see Palestinians who live in Gaza "temporarily relocated" in order for the enclave to be rebuilt. Trump had called on Tuesday for a permanent resettlement of Palestinians out of Gaza, drawing global condemnation.

Leavitt did not elaborate on the shift in rhetoric.

UN chief warns against 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza
5:59 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will warn Wednesday against "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, his spokesman said, after US President Donald Trump suggested Palestinians could be removed from the coastal territory.

"The secretary-general will say that in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital that we stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing. And, of course, he will reaffirm the two state solution," Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Pro-Trump Arab-US group changes its name after Gaza comments
5:18 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A group that played a key role in Donald Trump’s voter outreach to the Arab American community alongside his allies is rebranding itself after the president said that the US would "take over" the Gaza Strip.

Bishara Bahbah, chairman of the group formerly known as Arab Americans for Trump, said during a phone interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday that the group would now be called Arab Americans for Peace.

The name change came after Trump held a Tuesday press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and proposed the US take "ownership" in redeveloping the area into "the Riviera of the Middle East".

"The talk about what the president wants to do with Gaza, obviously we’re completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in Historic Palestine," Bahbah said. "And so we did not want to be behind the curve in terms of pushing for peace, because that has been our objective from the very beginning."

Arab Americans for Trump helped lead voter outreach efforts for Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election in swing states such as Michigan and Arizona.

UAE says it rejects any attempt to displace Palestinians
5:02 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The United Arab Emirates categorically rejects any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them "inalienable rights", the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

In a shock announcement, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US would take over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip after its Palestinians were resettled elsewhere, and develop it economically. He was speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump says 'everybody loves' his Gaza plan, despite backlash
4:48 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that "everybody loves" his shock proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip, despite a resounding rejection by Palestinians, Middle East leaders and governments around the world.

"Everybody loves it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the reaction to his plan. He then said it was "not the right time" for further questions as he was overseeing the swearing in of new US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Protests in South Korea over Trump's Gaza plan [Getty]
HRW: Displacing Palestinians would be moral abomination
4:17 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Displacing Palestinians would be a moral abomination, Human Rights Watch Israel and Palestine director said on Wednesday in response to a proposal from President Donald Trump for the United States to take over Gaza.

"It would be a moral abomination," Omar Shakir, from the international non-government organization that advocates for human rights, told Reuters.

"International humanitarian law forbids the forced displacement of the population of an occupied territory. When such forced displacement is widespread, it can amount to a war crime or a crime against humanity", added Shakir.

Netanyahu gifts Trump 'gold pager' referencing Lebanon op
4:10 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly gifted Donald Trump  a gold pager as well as a regular one, in a reference to the Israeli pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Lebanon's Hezbollah in September.

Israeli media said that Trump told Netanyahu that the deadly incident was a "great operation".

In return, the US President gifted the Israeli premier with the two of them during Netanyahu's visit to the US.

Arab League reject Trump plan as 'recipe for instability'
3:38 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Arab League said on Wednesday that a shock suggestion by US President Donald Trump to take over Gaza and displace Palestinians would violate international law and cause further instability.

While "confident in the United States and its president's desire to achieve a just peace in the region", the Arab League's secretariat said Trump's proposal promotes "the displacement of Palestinians, which is rejected on the Arab and international levels".

The 22-member regional bloc said that such a move, after more than 15 months of devastating war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, was "a recipe for instability" and would be in "violation of international law".

Switzerland to open probe on suspected Israeli war criminal
3:23 PM
The New Arab Staff

Switzerland said it has opened a criminal investigation against an Israeli soldier for suspected war crimes, following a complaint from the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation.

In a statement, the HRF said it "urges Swiss authorities to pursue this case with earnestness and vigour".

Deportation from Gaza 'strictly prohibited': UN's Turk
2:11 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

UN rights chief Volker Turk insisted Wednesday that deporting people from occupied territory was strictly prohibited, after President Donald Trump's shock proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and resettle its people.

Much of the Gaza Strip was levelled in a 15-month war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, and Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing a ceasefire agreement that took effect last month.

In a proposal that lacked details on how he would move out more than two million Palestinians or control Gaza, Trump said he would make the war-battered territory "unbelievable" by removing unexploded bombs and rubble, and economically redeveloping it.

"It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war and reconstruct Gaza, with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law," Turk said in a statement.

"The suffering of people in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel has been unbearable. Palestinians and Israelis need peace and security, on the basis of full dignity and equality."

Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said international law was "very clear".

'No to Trump's plan!' Palestinians vow to stay in Gaza
1:54 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Gazans criticised US President Donald Trump's plan to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians elsewhere, vowing to never leave the ruins of their homes in the coastal enclave that Trump wants to turn into a "Riviera of the Middle East".

"Trump can go to hell, with his ideas, with his money, and with his beliefs. We are going nowhere. We are not some of his assets," said Samir Abu Basel in Gaza City via a chat app.

"If he wants to resolve this conflict he should take the Israelis and put them in one of the states (in America). They are the strangers, not the Palestinians. We are the owners of the land," said the father of five, who has been displaced from his house near Jabalia on Gaza's northern edge.

Gaza residents said after war and bombs had failed to eject them from Gaza, Trump would not succeed in doing so.

"He spoke with much arrogance...he can test us, and soon he will find out his fantasies don't work with us," said Abu Basel.

West Bank: 30 Palestinians detained in last 24 hours
1:23 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces have arrested at least 30 people, including a child and former detainees, in the occupied West Bank during the last 24 hours, Wafa said.

The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission and the Palestine Prisoners Society said in a joint statement that the arrests took place in the cities of Tulkarem, Tubas, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem.

UK's Starmer: Palestinians should be allowed home to rebuild
12:39 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday the people of Gaza should be allowed to return home and rebuild.

"They (Palestinians) must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution," Starmer told in parliament as he faced questions from members of parliament.

Trump's bid to take over Gaza 'very surprising': UN
12:11 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The head of the UN refugee agency voiced consternation on Wednesday at President Donald Trump's shock proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its people.

"It's something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms," the United Nations' high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, told AFP in an interview in Brussels, adding that it was difficult to comment on such a "sensitive issue".

Gaza 'belongs to Palestinians', Germany FM says
12:09 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Gaza Strip "belongs to the Palestinians", German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday after President Donald Trump suggested that the United States should take over the war-ravaged territory.

"The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated," Baerbock said in a statement.

The forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would be "unacceptable and contrary to international law", Baerbock said.

"It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred," she said.

"It is clear that Gaza -- like the West Bank and east Jerusalem -- belongs to the Palestinians.

"They form the basis for a future Palestinian state" and a two-state solution remained the "only" option for peace, Baerbock said.

UK FM: Palestinians should 'live and prosper' in Gaza, W.B.
11:24 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday said that Palestinians should be able to "live and prosper" in Gaza and the West Bank, hitting back at US President Donald Trump's proposal to take over the Gaza Strip

"We must see Palestinians able to live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza, in the West Bank. That is what we want to get to," Lammy said at a press conference in Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

US drafts plan to withdraw all its troops from Syria: NBC
11:08 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The US Department of Defense is developing plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing two US defence officials.

President Donald Trump and officials close to him recently expressed interest in pulling U.S. troops out of Syria, leading Pentagon officials to begin drawing up plans for a full withdrawal in 30, 60 or 90 days, the report added.

Abbas to talk with King Abdullah on Trump Gaza plans
10:54 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A source in the Palestinian president's office said Mahmud Abbas travelled to Jordan Wednesday for talks with King Abdullah II shortly after US President Donald Trump proposed to take over the Gaza Strip.

Abbas travelled to Jordan on Wednesday morning, the source told AFP, and is expected to discuss Trump's surprise proposal for the United States to "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip while its Palestinian residents relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

Bezalel Smotrich vows to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state
10:40 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed on Wednesday to "definitively bury" the idea of a Palestinian state, after US President Donald Trump announced proposals to "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip.

"The plan presented yesterday (Tuesday) by President Trump is the real answer to October 7," Smotrich said, referring to the 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. "We will now work to definitively bury... the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state," he added on his Telegram account.

Smotrich has made numerous inflammatory comments on Palestinians and Gaza [Getty]
France rejects 'third-state control' in Gaza
10:38 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

France said on Wednesday that Gaza should not be controlled by a third party after President Donald Trump said the United States should take over the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

"France will continue to campaign for the implementation of the two-state solution, the only one that can guarantee long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," the foreign ministry said, adding the future of Gaza must not involve "control by a third state".

Egypt wants PA to 'assume its duties' in Gaza: FM
10:01 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Wednesday for the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip, hours after President Donald Trump announced a proposal for the United States to take over the territory.

In a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Abdelatty said Egypt was eager for the Palestinian Authority to "assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territories", according to a foreign ministry statement.

Abdelatty also called for swift reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of Palestinians from the territory after a surprise proposal from US President Donald Trump to take it over.

Abdelatty and Mustafa agreed on "the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects... at an accelerated pace... without the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip, especially with their commitment to their land and refusal to leave it", as per the foreign ministry.

PLO rejects calls for displacement of Palestinians: Sec Gen
9:20 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Secretary General Hussein Sheikh said on Wednesday the PLO rejected all calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland, after US President Donald Trump said Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could be resettled in neighbouring countries.

"The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace," the PLO official said on X.

The PLO is internationally recognised as the official representative of the Palestinian people.

Turkey FM says Trump comments on Gaza takeover unacceptable
9:15 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump's comments about a plan to take over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip are "unacceptable", Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday, adding any plans leaving Palestinians "out of the equation" would lead to more conflict.

Speaking to the state-owned Anadolu news agency, he said Turkey would review the steps it had taken against Israel - cutting off trade and recalling its ambassador - if the killing of Palestinians stopped and their conditions changed. 

Israeli politicians praise Trump's Gaza plan, comments
8:49 AM
The New Arab Staff

Several Israeli ministers, notably ones from the far-right but as well as centrist ones, have praised Donald Trump's comments on the US taking over the Gaza Strip and resettling Palestinians.

In a rare post in English, Itamar Ben-Gvir said: "Donald, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

In a separate post in Hebrew, Ben-Gvir said Trump is now touting a plan he has been proudly backing to "encourage migration" of Palestinians from Gaza.

"When I said time and time again during the war that this was the solution to Gaza, they mocked me. Now it is clear: this is the only solution, this is the strategy for the ‘day after’. I call on the prime minister to announce adoption of the plan as soon as possible and to begin immediate practical progress," Ben-Gvir said.

Israel's Finance Minister and vocal proponent of the Gaza war, Bezalel Smotrich, thanked Trump for his comments on future US involvement in the Gaza Strip on a post on X.

"Together, we will make the world great again," he said.

Netanyahu's rival Benny Gantz also praised Trump's Gaza plan, saying he presented "creative, original and interesting thoughts, that should be analyzed in parallel with reaching the objectives of the war, and giving precedence to the return of all the hostages."

Israeli raids in West Bank ongoing for second week
8:14 AM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces continued their violent raids on several West Bank cities on Wednesday, besieging buildings and firing at Palestinians.

Raids remain ongoing in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas.

Tubas, located northeast of Nablus, is the latest city to be subject to such incursions.

The Israeli occupation forces continue to storm and besiege the town of Tamoun and the Far'a camp, south of the city, for the fourth consecutive day.

The director of the Prisoners Club in Tubas said that the Israeli military detained 14 Palestinians from Tamoun yesterday during a raid on their homes, including two women.

In Tulkarem, Israeli forces pushed more vehicles into the camp, deploying infantry patrols inside all its neighbourhoods as raids on homes continued, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

In Jenin, rescue teams were able on Tuesday to evacuate an injured young man from the demolished building in Al-Damj neighbourhood in Jenin camp.

Jenin's governmental hospital continues to be besieged. According to its director, the hospital is almost empty, except for some emergency cases that are able to reach it.

Israeli forces are raiding several West Bank cities, including Tubas [Getty]
China opposes 'forced transfer' of Gazans after Trump plan
8:01 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

China on Wednesday said it was opposed to the "forced transfer" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip after US President Donald Trump said he planned to "take control" of the territory.

"China has always maintained that Palestinian rule over Palestinians is the basic principle of the post-war governance of Gaza, and we are opposed to the forced transfer of the residents of Gaza," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about Trump's plan at a regular press conference.

Hamas: Trump Gaza plan aims to 'eliminate Palestinian cause'
7:58 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Wednesday rejected US President Donald Trump's surprise plan to "take control" of the Gaza Strip, calling it "racist" and aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause.

"The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right's position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.