“Inflicting hurt on any child during the course of conflict is deeply disturbing,” said Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights last Thursday, voicing alarm at the number of Palestinian children killed this month by Israel.

“The killing and maiming of so many children this year is unconscionable,” she continued.

So what does it mean when Israel launches aerial assaults year after year with world-leading industrialized military technology on a besieged enclave of mostly children?

“International humanitarian law is clear. Launching an attack which may be expected to incidentally kill or injure civilians, or damage civilian objects, in disproportionate manner to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated, is prohibited. Such attacks must stop,” said Bachelet.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 47% of Gaza’s 2.2 million population are children, others place the percentage higher at 50%.

And Gaza’s population is notoriously crammed in, especially among the eight refugee camps officially recognized by UNRWA, which are considered some of the world’s most densely populated places. Yet each one is still considered a legitimate target by Israeli warplanes.