Israeli troops who shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank last week used live fire, without warning, against innocent youngsters out foraging for roots, an Israeli rights group said Wednesday.

After investigating the March 19 death of 15-year-old Yussef Sami Shawamreh, B'Tselem said it had found no evidence to support the army's version of events that troops had opened fire at youths who had "sabotaged" the West Bank security barrier.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday as he sought to rescue his faltering Middle East peace bid, amid fears Israel may scrap plans to free Palestinian prisoners.

Flying in to Jordan from an interrupted visit to Rome, he first held talks with King Abdullah II as he pressed his bid to "continue to narrow the gaps" between the two sides, his spokeswoman said.

Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas announced Wednesday that the blockaded territory's border with Egypt would open after a 50-day closure, telling Palestinians wishing to travel to present their passports.

Egypt has severely restricted access through the crossing in the border city of Rafah since July, when the army deposed Hamas's ally, President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Jordan's King Abdullah II Wednesday in a fresh bid to keep his Middle East peace bid on track, amid fears Israel may renege on a vow to free Palestinian prisoners.

Flying in from an interrupted visit to Rome, Kerry was also to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Amman in a bid to "continue to narrow the gaps" between the two sides, his spokeswoman said.

Washington has offered to free jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of an arrangement that would secure an extension of the deadlocked peace talks, army radio said Wednesday.

Citing Israeli officials, the radio said the offer was put on the table as part of a deal which would ensure Israel releases a fourth tranche of veteran Palestinian prisoners, scheduled for March 29.

Arab leaders called Wednesday for a political solution to the conflict in Syria, overlooking Saudi-backed demands for greater military support for rebel forces to tip the balance in the war.

They were united, however, after a two-day summit in Kuwait in siding with the Palestinians in refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a flashpoint issue threatening to derail U.S.-brokered peace talks.

The Israeli army staged at dawn on Wednesday military drills in the occupied Shebaa Farms and boosted security along the border with Lebanon.

According to the state-run National News Agency, Israeli drones flew over the Shebaa farms during the military exercises.

Two Palestinians were wounded on Wednesday when Israeli navy vessels destroyed two Gaza-bound boats smuggling cigarettes and tobacco from Egypt, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Palestinian witnesses and medical sources said the navy opened fire at the vessels as they were heading towards Rafah, moderately wounding two people, while the rest of the crew managed to escape.

Only a full-scale Israeli ground offensive will defeat Hizbullah in the event of another war similar to the 2006 conflict between them, a high-ranking Israeli army official has said.

“It’s clear to the general staff that a ground maneuver is what’s needed” to confront the threat of rocket attacks, the official, who was not named, told the Jerusalem Post daily in remarks published on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Amman Wednesday, interrupting a visit to Italy to meet with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas as a deadline looms for reaching a peace deal with Israel.

Kerry's surprise trip aims "to continue to narrow the gaps between the parties", State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday, a tacit acknowledgement of the difficulties bogging down the negotiations.