UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon Thursday called on concerned parties to seize the encouraging momentum that has emerged in the Middle East to promote the peace process in the region. Ban told a monthly news conference at the UN headquarters in New York that he looked forward to the next meeting of the Quartet, a diplomatic group on the Middle East peace process, tentatively scheduled in Italy later in June. 'There is encouraging momentum on which to build,' Ban said. U.S. President Barack Obama's speech delivered in Cairo last week contributed to the momentum for settling the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, said Ban, adding that the speech was 'well received' and 'widely accepted and appreciated by the world.' The recent peaceful and democratically-held elections in Lebanon also add new push for the peace process in the Middle East. The Middle East Quartet is a diplomatic group that brings together the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States to discuss peace in the region. The Quartet's roadmap for Middle East peace has called for a two- state solution of establishing a Palestinian state living in peace next to Israel, while the new government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not recognized the part. 'The rights of both peoples, Palestinians and Israelis, to self- determination, statehood and security are the basis of any policy going forward,' Ban said. Ban also highlighted some obvious humanitarian challenges. 'As I have said before, the Gaza blockade is devastating the population and achieving little in security and political terms,' Ban said. 'If the crossings continue to remain closed for most goods, the people of Gaza will slide into even deeper hardship, with the risk of further radicalization,' he said. On the issue of Israeli settlements, Ban said the UN position is well known. 'It is critical that Israel freeze settlement expansion and dismantle outposts as the Quartet, and more recently U.S. President Obama, have asked,' Ban said. 