Visual Storytelling

The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Over the past several months, the ongoing war between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas has led to a critical humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. Throughout the news coverage of the war, the use of imagery has been a critical tool in conveying the information about the war and the effect that the war has on the people. I chose this topic because it demonstrates how powerful visual reporting can be in shaping public understanding of global events. The imagery presented by news agencies such as the Associated Press and Reuters provides the primary means of emotionally engaging the audience with the topic. With the presentation of a scene setter, medium shot, portrait, detail shot, and action shot, this photo essay will illustrate the potential of imagery in conveying the effect of the war while focusing on the individual experience.

Scene Setter

This scene-setting photograph establishes the overall scale of the destruction in Gaza. Instead of focusing on individuals, the wide framing emphasizes how entire neighborhoods have been affected. The absence of people in many of these wide shots reinforces the sense of displacement and devastation. What is not visible, however, are the thousands of residents who once lived in these buildings, which can make the destruction feel abstract. The framing is effective because it visually communicates the magnitude of the crisis before the viewer encounters the personal stories that follow.

People search through the rubble of damaged buildings following an Israeli air strike on Palestinian houses in the southern Gaza Strip, December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Fadi Shana

Medium Shot

This medium shot narrows the viewer’s focus from the large-scale destruction to the people affected by it. The framing includes both the individuals and the surrounding environment, helping connect personal stories to the broader destruction seen in the scene-setter image. The photograph is effective because it visually links the human experience with the physical environment of the conflict.

A Palestinian woman walks past residential buildings damaged and destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, December 14, 2025. Photo by Dawoud Abu Alkas/REUTERS

Portrait

Portrait photographs personalize large news events by focusing on a single individual. In this image, the close framing draws attention to facial expression and emotion, allowing viewers to empathize with the subject. What is missing is the full context of the person’s story. The portrait is powerful because it transforms a large geopolitical conflict into a personal human experience.

Palestinian schoolchildren look toward the sky at the sound of the airstrike on October 7 as Israel, vowing to eliminate Hamas, launched an offensive on Gaza. (sa ar Abu Elouf for the New York Times)

Detail Shot

Detail shots often reveal emotional layers that wider images cannot capture. A close-up of personal objects symbolizing the everyday lives disrupted by the conflict. These items represent the loss of homes and memories. What we cannot see in this image is the family that owned these belongings. However, the framing encourages viewers to imagine the people connected to these objects, making the photograph emotionally impactful.

More than 20 members of the extended Moghari family were killed in Israel’s bombardment of the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. (Adel Hana / Associated Press)

Action Shot

Action shots introduce movement and urgency into the visual narrative. In this image, the activity of aid distribution illustrates ongoing humanitarian efforts during the crisis. The framing highlights both the workers and the crowd receiving aid, showing the scale of need. What is missing is the behind-the-scenes organization required to deliver aid or the limited availability of resources. The photograph effectively conveys the dynamic response to the crisis and the urgency of the situation.

A person gestures as he carries a box as Palestinians gather near an aid distribution site run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2025. Photo by REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

The arrangement of these photographs tells a story that moves from a broad overview of the destruction to the personal experiences of individuals affected by the conflict. Beginning with a wide scene setter establishes the physical context of the crisis, while the medium shot and portrait gradually bring the viewer closer to the human impact. The detail shot highlights the emotional consequences of war through personal objects, and the action shot concludes the sequence by showing humanitarian responses to the situation.

Visual reporting raises several ethical concerns, particularly when documenting suffering or tragedy. Photographers and news organizations must balance the need to inform the public with respect for the dignity and privacy of those being photographed. Images can also shape narratives depending on how they are framed or selected. For example, showing only destruction could portray a region as hopeless, while showing aid efforts might emphasize resilience. Despite living in an image-saturated media environment, visual reporting remains extremely impactful because photographs can communicate emotion and context faster than written stories alone. As media continues to evolve through social media and digital journalism, visual storytelling will likely become even more central to how audiences understand major global events.

• -Logan Walsh