propaganda analysis essay

The Impact and Mechanics of Propaganda: Case Studies Across History and Media

This essay about the pervasive role of propaganda throughout history examines how it shapes societies, politics, and media. It discusses historical instances, such as Nazi Germany and the Cold War, highlighting propaganda’s role in shaping ideologies and manipulating public perception. The text also explores propaganda’s evolution in the digital age and its potential for both harmful manipulation and beneficial advocacy. Finally, it advocates for ethical propaganda use to ensure it supports truth and democratic values.

How it works

Propaganda, both subtle and potent, has intricately woven itself into the fabric of human history, profoundly influencing societies, shaping political arenas, and altering media narratives worldwide. Its pervasive impact reverberates through time and space, molding beliefs, directing ideologies, and steering historical events. A deeper examination into the complex machinery and diverse instances of propaganda reveals a compelling narrative of human persuasion, where facts and distortions often engage in a nuanced and elusive dance.

At its core, propaganda functions as a sophisticated ensemble, expertly directing emotions, beliefs, and prejudices to create a powerful symphony of influence that deeply resonates with its target audience.

It employs the selective disclosure of facts, the crafting of compelling narratives, and the strategic vilification of opponents, enabling propagandists to shape perceptions as deftly as sculptors mold their creations.

Historically, one of the most chilling examples of propaganda is seen in Nazi Germany during Adolf Hitler’s reign. Spearheaded by Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda, the regime skillfully used media tools such as radio, film, and print, along with massive public gatherings, to propagate a terrifying narrative of hate and deception. This propaganda championed Aryan supremacy, demonized Jews and other marginalized communities, and exalted the Nazi ideology, ultimately facilitating horrific acts of violence and marking one of humanity’s darkest periods.

Meanwhile, the Cold War era saw the American and Soviet governments engage in intense propaganda efforts. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covertly supported cultural endeavors, media, and political movements to promote capitalism and democracy and counteract communism. Conversely, the Soviet Union employed its vast media network to promote Marxist-Leninist ideals and depict the West as corrupt and greedy.

However, the reach of propaganda extends beyond political spheres, infiltrating commercial and social domains. In advertising, it transforms into a tool of consumer persuasion, drawing individuals towards brands through emotionally charged narratives and compelling visuals. Likewise, social media has become a modern arena for ideological conflicts, with algorithms often prioritizing sensational content that may lack factual accuracy.

In today’s digital realm, the dynamics of propaganda have evolved dramatically. The spread of misinformation and disinformation risks overwhelming genuine discourse, with advanced technologies like deepfakes further obscuring the line between reality and fabrication, fostering doubt and discord.

Nevertheless, there remains a beacon of hope. Propaganda is not inherently malevolent and can be used to promote beneficial causes such as public health, social justice, and humanitarian efforts. The ethical application of propaganda, however, requires a commitment to transparency, integrity, and truth, ensuring it serves to enlighten rather than deceive.

Ultimately, the fight against manipulative propaganda is a crusade for humanity’s soul, aiming to wrest control of the narrative from the hands of deceit and reestablish truth’s dominance in public discourse. By remaining vigilant, embracing education, and adhering to democratic values and personal freedoms, society can navigate towards a future lit by reason and understanding.

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PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Impact and Mechanics of Propaganda: Case Studies Across History and Media . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-impact-and-mechanics-of-propaganda-case-studies-across-history-and-media/ [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

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Propaganda During World War II Essay

The Second World War was a complicated time for both the general public and the authorities since while the former worried for their safety, family, and homeland, the latter needed to maintain the national spirit and support the soldiers at the front. For such purposes, posters were implemented involving colorful images with strong words. However, while some might think that posters from the 20th century served as inspiration or plea, they were aimed to influence people psychologically.

The first propaganda poster Every minute counts! represents the influence of lost time on the battlefield failures of their soldiers. The technique used in this poster involves fear, through which the authorities strive to scare individuals working at manufacturing factories, urging them to work harder. In this sense, the poster incorporates statistics and figures, implying that every ten minutes that are lost will lead to less ammunition and weaponry, which will, in turn, postpone the victory.

Another poster, Air defense is home defense uses the technique of connecting with the audience. In their attempt to recruit as many individuals into air defense, the authorities aim to incorporate a heart-warming illustration of a family that looks in the sky and admires the national military plane. In a way, stereotypes in posters were common during wartime (Brewer 26). Here, the objective is to emphasize the pride in national defense and show the general public endorsement of the air forces.

The last poster, England expects, incorporates the technique of calling to action via bright colors, illustration of the national flag, and words. The phrase national service is written in bold red color that is contrasted by the dark blue background, which is used to catch the attention of the audience. Moreover, the number of people illustrated in the poster serves to show the national spirit, urging others to join the forces.

Hence, while some individuals might mistakenly believe that 20th-century posters acted as calls to action or acts of inspiration, their true purpose was to affect the audience psychologically. Every minute counts! is a propaganda poster that employs the technique of fear to illustrate the impact of wasted time on their soldiers’ failures on the battlefield. Another poster, Air defense is home defense , employs the audience-connection strategy. The final poster, England expects , employs the strategy of urging action via the use of bold colors, an image of the national flag, and text.

Brewer, Susan A. To Win the Peace: British Propaganda in the United States During World War II . Cornell University Press, 2019.

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IvyPanda. (2023, September 21). Propaganda During World War II. https://ivypanda.com/essays/propaganda-during-world-war-ii/

"Propaganda During World War II." IvyPanda , 21 Sept. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/propaganda-during-world-war-ii/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Propaganda During World War II'. 21 September.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Propaganda During World War II." September 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/propaganda-during-world-war-ii/.

1. IvyPanda . "Propaganda During World War II." September 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/propaganda-during-world-war-ii/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Propaganda During World War II." September 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/propaganda-during-world-war-ii/.

• American Homefront During World War II
• Media Propaganda: Poster Advertisement
• War on Terror: Propaganda and Freedom of the Press in the US
• The Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups in World War II
• Warfare: Ethical and Moral Issues
• The Result Japan’s Fall in World War II
• The Role of Propaganda During World War II
• The Effectiveness of WWII Bombing Campaigns

Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda? Analyzing World War II Posters

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

In this lesson plan, students analyze World War II posters, chosen from online collections, to explore how argument, persuasion and propaganda differ. The lesson begins with a full-class exploration of the famous "I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY" poster, wherein students explore the similarities and differences between argument, persuasion, and propaganda and apply one of the genres to the poster. Students then work independently to complete an online analysis of another poster and submit either an analysis worksheet or use their worksheet responses to write a more formal essay.

Featured Resources

• Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda? : This handout clarifies the goals, techniques, and methods used in the genres of argument, persuasion, and propaganda.
• Analyzing a World War II Poster : This interactive assists students in careful analysis of a World War II poster of their own selection for its use of argument, persuasion, or propaganda.

From Theory to Practice

Visual texts are the focus of this lesson, which combines more traditional document analysis questions with an exploration of World War II posters. The 1975 "Resolution on Promoting Media Literacy" states that explorations of such multimodal messages "enable students to deal constructively with complex new modes of delivering information, new multisensory tactics for persuasion, and new technology-based art forms." The 2003 "Resolution on Composing with Nonprint Media" reminds us that "Today our students are living in a world that is increasingly non-printcentric. New media such as the Internet, MP3 files, and video are transforming the communication experiences of young people outside of school. Young people are composing in nonprint media that can include any combination of visual art, motion (video and film), graphics, text, and sound-all of which are frequently written and read in nonlinear fashion." To support the literacy skills that students must sharpen to navigate these many media, activities such as the poster analysis in this lesson plan provide bridging opportunities between traditional understandings of genre and visual representations. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
• Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda?
• Document Analysis for Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda
• Poster Analysis Rubric

Preparation

• Make appropriate copies of Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda? , Document Analysis for Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda , and Poster Analysis Rubric .
• Explore the background information on the Uncle Sam recruiting poster , so that you are prepared to share relevant historical details about the poster with students.
• If desired, explore the online poster collections and choose a specific poster or posters for students to analyze. If you choose to limit the options, post the choices on the board or on white paper for students to refer to in Session Two .
• Decide what final product students will submit for this lesson. Students can submit their analysis printout from the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive, or they can write essays that explain their analysis. If students write essays, the printouts from the interactive serve as prewriting and preparation for the longer, more formal piece.
• Test the Analyzing a Visual Message interactive and the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

• discuss the differences between argument, persuasion, and propaganda.
• analyze visual texts individually, in small groups, and as a whole class.
• (optionally) write an analytical essay.

Session One

• Display the Uncle Sam recruiting poster using an overhead projector.
• Ask students to share what they know about the poster, noting their responses on the board or on chart paper.
• If students have not volunteered the information, provide some basic background information .
• Working in small groups, have students use the  Analyzing a Visual Message interactive to analyze the Uncle Sam poster.
• Emphasize that students should use complete, clear sentences in their responses. The printout that the interactive creates will not include the questions, so students responses must provide the context. Be sure to connect the requirement for complete sentences to the reason for the requirement (so that students will understand the information on the printout without having to return to the  Analyzing a Visual Message interactive.
• As students work, encourage them to look for concrete details in the poster that support their statements.
• Circulate among students as they work, providing support and feedback.
• Once students have completed the questions included in the  Analyzing a Visual Message interactive, display the poster again and ask students to share their observations and analyses.
• Emphasize and support responses that will tie to the next session, where students will complete an independent analysis.
• Pass out and go over copies of the Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda Chart .
• Ask students to apply genre descriptions to the Uncle Sam poster, using the basic details they gathered in their analysis to identify the poster's genre.

Session Two

• Review the Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda? chart.
• Elicit examples of argument, persuasion, and propaganda from the students, asking them to provide supporting details that confirm the genres of the examples. Provide time for students to explore some of the Websites in the Resources section to explore the three concepts.
• When you feel that the students are comfortable with the similarities and differences of the three genres, explain to the class that they are going to be choosing and analyzing World War II posters for a more detailed analysis.
• Pass out the Document Analysis for Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda , and go over the questions in the analysis sheet. Draw connections between the questions and what the related answers will reveal about a document's genre.
• Demonstrate the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive.
• Point out the connections between the questions in the interactive and the questions listed on the Document Analysis for Argument, Persuasion, or Propaganda .
• If students need additional practice with analysis, choose a poster and use the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive to work through all the analysis questions as a whole class.
• Explain the final format that students will use for their analysis—you can have students submit their analysis printout from the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive, or they can submit polished essays that explain their analysis.
• Pass out copies of the Poster Analysis Rubric , and explain the expectations for the project.
• Posters on the American Home Front (1941-45), from the Smithsonian Institute
• Powers of Persuasion, from the National Archives
• World War II Poster Collection, from Northwestern University
• World War II Posters, from University of North Texas Libraries

Session Three

• Review the poster analysis project and the handouts from previous session.
• Answer any questions about the Analyzing a World War II Poster interactive then give students the entire class session to work through their analysis.
• Remind students to refer to the Poster Analysis Rubric to check their work before saving or printing their work.
• If you are having students submit their printouts for the final project, collect their work at the end of the session. Otherwise, if you have asked students to write the essay, ask them to use their printout to write the essay for homework. Collect the essays and printouts at the beginning of the next session (or when desired).
• If desired, students might share the posters they have chosen and their conclusions with the whole class or in small groups.

The Propaganda Techniques in Literature and Online Political Ads lesson plan offers additional information about propaganda as well as some good Websites on propaganda.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Use the Poster Analysis Rubric to evaluate and give feedback on students’ work. If students have written a more formal paper, you might provide additional guidelines for standard written essays, as typically used in your class.

• Calendar Activities
• Professional Library
• Strategy Guides
• Lesson Plans

This resolution discusses that understanding the new media and using them constructively and creatively actually requires developing a new form of literacy and new critical abilities "in reading, listening, viewing, and thinking."

This strategy guide clarifies the difference between persuasion and argumentation, stressing the connection between close reading of text to gather evidence and formation of a strong argumentative claim about text.

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History Resources

World War II Posters and Propaganda

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Propaganda — Ww1 Propaganda Poster Analysis

Ww1 Propaganda Poster Analysis

• Categories: Propaganda Textual Analysis

About this sample

Words: 532 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 532 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, historical context of world war i propaganda, visual analysis of world war i propaganda posters, textual analysis of world war i propaganda posters, impact and effectiveness of world war i propaganda posters.

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'Authoritarian propaganda campaigns' around the world' have one major goal: analysis

A lthough presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has often been critical of the United States' European allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he has been quick to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin and other far-right authoritarian figures.

President Joe Biden, in contrast, has been aggressively pro-NATO and is a scathing critic of Putin.

In a lengthy essay/think piece published online by The Atlantic on May 6 as well as in their June 2024 print edition, journalist/author Anne Applebaum emphasizes that the world is experiencing a major battle between authoritarians and promoters of liberal democracy — and "electing Trump" is a goal of "autocrats" around the world.

READ MORE: Expert warns dark shift in Trump’s tone is 'how fascists campaign'

Those "autocrats," according to Applebaum , are conducting "authoritarian propaganda campaigns" in order to undermine democracy.

"Autocratic regimes have slowly turned their repressive mechanisms outward, into the democratic world," Applebaum explains . "If people are naturally drawn to the image of human rights, to the language of democracy, to the dream of freedom, then those concepts have to be poisoned. That requires more than surveillance, more than close observation of the population, more than a political system that defends against liberal ideas. It also requires an offensive plan: a narrative that damages both the idea of democracy everywhere in the world and the tools to deliver it."

Applebaum notes that although most of the "autocrats" pushing an anti-democracy "narrative" online are on the far right, some are on the far left — for example, the leadership in Venezuela. And they typically equate democracy with chaos and authoritarianism with stability.

If Trump wins in November, Applebaum warns , it will be a victory for "autocrats" not only in the United States, but globally.

READ MORE: 'Terrifying' document details Trump’s 'blueprint for a soft coup'

"Because the American extreme right and, more rarely, the extreme left benefit from the spread of anti-democratic narratives," Applebaum points out , "they have an interest in silencing or hobbling any group that wants to stop, or even identify, foreign campaigns. Sen. Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told me that 'we are actually less prepared today than we were four years ago' for foreign attempts to influence the 2024 election."

Applebaum continues , "This is not only because authoritarian propaganda campaigns have become more sophisticated as they begin to use AI, or because 'you obviously have a political environment here where there's a lot more Americans who are more distrustful of all institutions.' It's also because the lawsuits, threats, and smear tactics have chilled government, academic, and tech-company responses…. Russia, China, and sometimes other state actors — Venezuela, Iran, Hungary — work with Americans to discredit democracy, to undermine the credibility of democratic leaders, to mock the rule of law. They do so with the goal of electing Trump, whose second presidency would damage the image of democracy around the world, as well as the stability of democracy in America, even further."

READ MORE: 'Treason': Top constitutional expert sounds the alarm over Trump’s attack on NATO

Anne Applebaum's full essay for The Atlantic is available at this link (subscription required).

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Secret Hamas Files Show How It Spied on Everyday Palestinians

Hamas monitored political activity, online posts, and apparently even love lives. Palestinians were stuck between an Israeli blockade and a repressive security force.

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By Adam Rasgon and Ronen Bergman

Adam Rasgon reported from Jerusalem, and Ronen Bergman from Tel Aviv.

The Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has for years overseen a secret police force in Gaza that conducted surveillance on everyday Palestinians and built files on young people, journalists and those who questioned the government, according to intelligence officials and a trove of internal documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The unit, known as the General Security Service, relied on a network of Gaza informants, some of whom reported their own neighbors to the police. People landed in security files for attending protests or publicly criticizing Hamas. In some cases, the records suggest that the authorities followed people to determine if they were carrying on romantic relationships outside marriage.

Hamas has long run an oppressive system of governance in Gaza, and many Palestinians there know that security officials watch them closely. But a 62-slide presentation on the activities of the General Security Service, delivered only weeks before the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, reveals the degree to which the largely unknown unit penetrated the lives of Palestinians.

The documents show that Hamas leaders, despite claiming to represent the people of Gaza, would not tolerate even a whiff of dissent. Security officials trailed journalists and people they suspected of immoral behavior. Agents got criticism removed from social media and discussed ways to defame political adversaries. Political protests were viewed as threats to be undermined.

Everyday Gazans were stuck — behind the wall of Israel’s crippling blockade and under the thumb and constant watch of a security force. That dilemma continues today, with the added threat of Israeli ground troops and airstrikes.

“We’re facing bombardment by the occupation and thuggery by the local authorities,” Ehab Fasfous, a journalist in the Gaza Strip who appeared in the files of the General Security Service, said in a phone interview from Gaza.

Mr. Fasfous, 51, is labeled in one report as among “the major haters of the Hamas movement.”

The documents were provided to The Times by officials in Israel’s military intelligence directorate, who said they had been seized in raids in Gaza.

Reporters then interviewed people who were named in the files. Those people recounted key events, confirmed biographical information and, in Mr. Fasfous’s case, described interactions with the authorities that aligned with the secret files. The documents reviewed by The Times include seven intelligence files ranging from October 2016 to August 2023. The military intelligence directorate said it was aware of files containing information on at least 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

The General Security Service is formally part of the Hamas political party but functions like part of the government. One Palestinian individual familiar with the inner workings of Hamas, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that the service was one of three powerful internal security bodies in Gaza. The others were Military Intelligence, which typically focuses on Israel, and the Internal Security Service, an arm of the Interior Ministry.

Basem Naim, a spokesman for Hamas, said the people responsible for the General Security Service were unreachable during the war.

With monthly expenses of $120,000 before the war with Israel, the unit comprised 856 people, records show. Of those, more than 160 were paid to spread Hamas propaganda and launch online attacks against opponents at home and abroad. The status of the unit today is unknown because Israel has dealt a significant blow to Hamas’s military and governing abilities.

The Israeli intelligence authorities believe that Mr. Sinwar directly oversaw the General Security Service, according to three Israeli intelligence officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. They said the slide show was prepared for Mr. Sinwar personally, though they did not say how they knew that.

The presentation said that the General Security Service works to protect Hamas’s people, property and information, and to support its leadership’s decision-making.

Some slides focused on the personal security of Hamas leaders. Others discussed ways to stamp out protests, including the “We Want to Live” demonstrations last year that criticized power shortages and the cost of living. Security officials also tracked operatives from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ideologically aligned militant group that often partners with Hamas.

Some tactics, like amplifying Hamas’s own message, appeared to be routine politicking. In other instances, officials suggested using intelligence to undermine opponents and distort their reputations, though the files were vague about how that was to be done.

“Undertaking a number of offensive and defensive media campaigns to confuse and influence adversaries by using private and exclusive information,” the document read.

Security officers stopped Mr. Fasfous on his way to a protest last August, seized his phone and ordered him to leave, a report says. Mr. Fasfous confirmed that two plainclothes officers had approached him. The authorities searched his recent calls, and wrote that he was communicating with “suspicious people” in Israel.

“We advise that closing in on him is necessary because he’s a negative person who is full of hatred, and only brings forth the Strip’s shortcomings,” the document said.

The most frustrating thing, Mr. Fasfous said, was that the officers used his phone to send flirtatious messages to a colleague. “They wanted to pin a moral violation on me,” he said.

The report does not include that detail but does describe ways to “deal with” Mr. Fasfous. “Defame him,” the report said.

“If you’re not with them, you become an atheist, an infidel and a sinner,” Mr. Fasfous said. He acknowledged supporting protests and criticizing Hamas online, but said the people he was in touch with in Israel were Palestinians who owned food and clothing companies. He said he helped run their social media accounts.

The General Security Service’s goals are similar to those of security services in countries like Syria that have used secret units to quell dissent. The files of the General Security Service, though, mention tactics like censorship, intimidation and surveillance rather than physical violence.

“This General Security Service is just like the Stasi of East Germany,” said Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer specializing in Palestinian affairs. “You always have an eye on the street.”

Palestinians in Gaza live in fear and hesitate to express dissent, analysts said.

“There are a lot of people practicing self-censorship,” said Mkhaimar Abusada, a professor of political science from Gaza City. “They just don’t want problems with the Hamas government.”

That view clashes with the most strident comments of Israel’s leaders, like President Isaac Herzog, who blamed Gazans for not toppling Hamas before the Oct. 7 attacks.

“There’s an entire nation that is responsible,” he said . “This rhetoric about civilians were not aware, not involved, it’s absolutely not true. They could have risen up.”

The General Security Service, the files show, also tried to enforce a conservative social order.

In December 2017, for example, the authorities investigated a tip that a woman was acting immorally with a man who owned a clothing shop. A security report noted that she visited the shop for an hour on one day, then more than two hours the next. The report presented no evidence of wrongdoing, but proposed that “relevant parties” address the matter.

An October 2016 report described young men and women performing unspecified “immoral acts” at a Palestine Liberation Organization office in Khan Younis at night. Hamas sees the Palestine Liberation Organization as a compromised entity, whose leader too often favors Israeli interests. The report offered no evidence of misdeeds but recommended summoning a man who claimed to be in possession of videos and pictures.

The files also show that Hamas was suspicious of foreign organizations and journalists.

When Monique van Hoogstraten, a Dutch reporter, visited a protest encampment along the border with Israel in April 2018, the authorities noted the most banal of details. They noted the make and model of her car and her license plate number. They said she took pictures of children and tried to interview an elderly woman. Ms. van Hoogstraten confirmed the reporting trip in an interview with The Times.

The file recommended further “reconnaissance” on journalists.

None of the files reviewed by The Times were dated after the start of the war. But Mr. Fasfous said the government remained interested in him.

Early in the war, he said he took images of security forces hitting people who fought over spots in line outside a bakery. The authorities confiscated his camera.

Mr. Fasfous complained to a government official in Khan Younis, who told him to stop reporting and “destabilizing the internal front,” Mr. Fasfous recalled.

“I told him I was reporting on the truth and that the truth won’t hurt him, but that fell on deaf ears,” he said. “We can’t have a life here as long as these criminals remain in control.”

Adam Rasgon reports from Israel for The Times's Jerusalem bureau. More about Adam Rasgon

Ronen Bergman is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, based in Tel Aviv. His latest book is “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations,” published by Random House. More about Ronen Bergman

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

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A Presidential Move: Ronald Reagan also used the power of American arms to influence  Israeli war policy. The comparison underscores how much the politics of Israel have changed in the United States since the 1980s.

Netanyahu’s Concerns: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, under pressure from all sides, is trying to reassure his many domestic, military and diplomatic critics. Here’s a look at what he is confronting .

Al Jazeera Shutdown: The influential Arab news network says it will continue reporting from Gaza and the West Bank, but its departure from Israel is a new low in its long-strained history with the country .