The Lebanese-American man who was convicted of trying to kill Salman Rushdie is going on trial again in the United States, this time in a federal terrorism case that is probing deeper into what allegedly motivated the stabbing on a lecture stage in 2022.

Opening statements are set for Wednesday in Hadi Matar's trial in the federal courthouse in Buffalo, New York. It's about 70 miles (113 km) from the arts and intellectual retreat where the renowned author and free-speech advocate was attacked as he was about to discuss writer safety.

Lebanon is working towards a "complete Israeli withdrawal" from areas it occupies, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday on a visit to a village where Lebanon's army recently deployed.

"We will continue mobilizing our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south," he said in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, one of several "pilot zones" intended to demonstrate that the Lebanese Army can remove and disarm Hezbollah as part of a Washington-sponsored deal with Israel.

President Joseph Aoun stressed the need for Israel to pull its troops from Lebanon during his meeting on Tuesday with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, the Presidency said in a statement.

"President Aoun stressed the urgent need for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, emphasizing that this constitutes a fundamental step to consolidate stability, enable the Lebanese state to extend its full sovereignty, solely through its own forces, and move forward in implementing the joint tripartite framework," the statement said, referring to a U.S.-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel last month.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's authorization for airlines to resume direct flights to Beirut presented a major opportunity for Lebanon's economy and connectivity with Washington.

Welcoming the announcement that came after Trump's meeting with President Joseph Aoun, Salam said the move "represents a significant opportunity to enhance travel and connectivity between Lebanon and the United States, and to support the Lebanese economy."

The Israeli military has said that it only fired "warning shots into the air" after Lebanese soldiers entered an area that was "not part of the pilot area" in the Zawtar region, prompting the Lebanese Army to respond in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has directed his administration to "allow all U.S. airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land."

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday presented U.S. President Donald Trump in their Washington meeting with a formal plan to disarm Hezbollah and strengthen the Lebanese Army's authority, a U.S. source said.

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday expressed gratitude for the United States' support of Lebanon following his meeting in Washington with counterpart Donald Trump at the White House.

President Joseph Aoun met Tuesday at the White House with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, who said that the Lebanese leader is “highly respected.”

President Joseph Aoun expects to hear from U.S. President Donald Trump a "commitment to guarantee a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon," U.S. diplomatic sources in Beirut have said, according to al-Akhbar newspaper.