The Israeli military stormed the Al-Shifa hospital, the largest in Gaza, on Wednesday in what it described as "a precise and targeted operation against Hamas".

Israeli and Palestinian officials said military operations were taking place at the hospital, the focal point of days of deadly fighting and nearby aerial bombardments.

Speaking before that operation, Trudeau urged the government of Israel to "exercise maximum restraint".

"The human tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza is heart-wrenching, especially the suffering we see in and around the Al-Shifa hospital," Trudeau told an unrelated event in British Columbia province late on Tuesday.

"The world is watching, on TV, on social media, we are hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who have lost their parents," he said.

"The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop."

The United Nations estimates that at least 2,300 people, patients, staff and displaced civilians, are inside the hospital compound and may be unable to escape the fighting.

Trudeau also said Hamas "needs to stop using Palestinians as human shields" and that they "need to release all the hostages immediately and unconditionally".

Canada and other Western nations have expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas' brutal October 7 attacks that killed an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

An estimated 240 others were taken hostage into Gaza during the attacks.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israel's ensuing aerial bombardment and ground offensive have killed 11,320 people, mostly civilians, including thousands of children.

"The price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules," Trudeau said.

"All innocent life is equal in worth -- Israeli and Palestinian."

Trudeau paid tribute to Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, 74, whose killing on October 7 was confirmed on Tuesday.

She was initially thought to be held hostage by Hamas.

"Vivian dedicated her life to peace and the bright light was extinguished on October 7," he said.

On late Tuesday, the White House said that hospitals and the patients inside them "must be protected,".

The White House "won't speak to the specifics of an ongoing Israeli military operation," a spokesperson from the National Security Council said when asked about military move into Al-Shifa, where Israel says Palestinian militant group Hamas has a command center hidden beneath thousands of ailing and sheltering civilians. 

"As we've said, we do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in the crossfire. Hospitals and patients must be protected," the spokesperson continued. 

The statement came after US President Joe Biden spoke with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Tuesday, apparently before the Israeli operation into Al-Shifa was announced. 

The operation was not discussed during that call, which the White House said in an earlier statement had focused on efforts to free hostages held by Hamas. 

Al-Shifa hospital has been the focal point of days of fighting and nearby aerial bombardments in Israel's war with Hamas.

Thousands of patients, staff and displaced civilians are believed to be inside the hospital complex, according to local officials.

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