Germany backs Britain's refusal to call for ceasefire

Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, attending an emergency foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, was challenged by the EU presidency and leading member states such as France to unite behind an immediate ceasefire call.

But Britain - which looked at the beginning of the day as if it might be alone in resisting the ceasefire call - was joined by Germany and the Czech Republic, who also indicated that they would not sign the draft resolution in its original form.

The draft document issued by the Finnish presidency and circulated to the 25 member states also warned of breaches of international law in the three-week old conflict, according to the Reuters news agency, which obtained a copy.

The document states: "The council called for an immediate ceasefire. Disregard for necessary precautions to avoid loss of civilian life constitutes a severe breach of international humanitarian law."

Nicholas Watt, the Guardian's Europe editor, said that Finland's draft closely resembled the position argued for by the French government, which has demanded a ceasefire before any discussion of longer-term political solutions, including an international stabilisation force.

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