London: Britain today (March 24, 2004) ordered British banks to freeze assets belonging to five senior members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, including those of its new leader Abdelaziz Rantissi, the British Treasury said in a statement.

"Chancellor (of the Exchequer) Gordon Brown today instructed the Bank of England, as agent for Her Majesty's Treasury, to direct financial institutions that any funds which they hold for or on behalf of five senior members of Hamas must be frozen," the Treasury said.