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Author Fatima Bhutto has called on her followers and the public to refrain from sharing a graphic video circulating online. The video in question shows a Palestinian man being raped by an IDF soldier, according to Anadolu.

The harrowing and deeply disturbing clip has sparked widespread outrage and Bhutto, visibly distressed, shared her thoughts about it in a video on her Instagram. Emphasising the importance of compassion and respect for the victim and his family, she said, “I saw that story about the Palestinian prisoner and the video. It’s made me feel physically sick the entire day.

“I just had some thoughts that I wanted to share. I think we absolutely should not share the video. I think we can make sure that the news stays in circulation. We can talk about the horror and the injustice in it. We can do all that without showing the video,” she added, her voice heavy.

Bhutto shed light on the severe repercussions of sharing graphic and violent content, even at a time when certain people encourage sharing the on-ground realities of Israel’s assault on Gaza to elicit a reaction from the world.

“I know some of you agree and some of you don’t but these are people who are suffering hourly, by the minute and by the second. They have no respite. Not their children, not their families, not their loved ones, not their friends. They are being terrorised every second of the day and I don’t think we should add to that.”

She implored her audience to consider the profound impact that sharing such videos can have on the families and loved ones of the victims. “We can’t post a video like that without considering how it will affect the man’s family, his loved ones, his friends, and his colleagues, who are coping with a trauma far beyond anything we can ever imagine.”

In her video, Bhutto also referenced another heartbreaking video circulating online, showing a Palestinian man grieving the loss of his two sons in a bombing. “He’s grieving, he’s devastated by pain, and it’s very difficult to watch somebody go through that, even a stranger,” she said, noting that the man’s nephew had reportedly requested the removal of the video to prevent further anguish for the family.

Bhutto pointed out that when we’re dealing with an event that we haven’t lived through and aren’t equipped to deal with, psychologically, emotionally, or mentally, “we have to think in the most compassionate way possible and we have to try constantly to do the right thing.”

The US has said that there must be zero tolerance for sexual abuse or rape of any detainee after the horrifying footage surfaced. “There ought to be zero tolerance for sexual abuse, rape of any detainee. Period. That’s a fundamental belief of the United States,” State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that if there are detainees who have been abused, sexually assaulted or raped, Israel needs to “fully investigate” those actions and hold anyone responsible accountable.