September 25, 2025 – When war forces people from their homes, most imagine shelter in tents or temporary camps. But what happens when displacement comes wrapped in clean sheets, buffet dinners, and a so-called “luxury experience”? Could it still produce the same psychological pains experienced by displaced populations in far harsher conditions—or even by prisoners behind bars? 

That’s the question at the heart of a compelling new study by Ph.D. student Noy Assaraf and Dr. Netanel Dagan from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Criminology. Published in the Journal of Social Work, their research examines the psychological toll faced by Israelis evacuated from the country’s north and south after the October 7th Hamas attacks—and placed not in tents, but in hotels. 

On the surface, these hotels offered comfort and safety, but beneath that, Assaraf and Dagan discovered something far more complex: a lived experience that echoed the psychological pains of imprisonment. Drawing on in-depth interviews with evacuees across six hotels, the researchers coined a new term: incarceresort—a blend of incarceration and resort—to describe how people can feel trapped, even in comfortable and luxurious settings. 

“You’re in a golden cage,” said one evacuee, “getting everything, but it’s not home.” 

Participants spoke of lost autonomy, disrupted family life, and a constant sense of limbo. Crowded rooms stripped families of privacy. Many evacuees were unable to work or maintain routines. Others felt guilt for being housed in what looked like comfort, while others were fighting or suffering. 

One evacuee described how the inability to cook or do basic chores left her feeling unmoored: “I would go to my relatives’ house and clean like crazy—not because I love cleaning, but because I missed doing it.” 

Another summed up the stagnation: “Time stands still… It’s being in the room, watching TV, then going down for dinner, and the same thing again.” 

Despite the visual appeal of a hotel stay, the study found that evacuees experienced profound emotional and psychological distress—highlighting the gap between physical comfort and genuine wellbeing. As the researchers suggested, expanding the concept of the “pains of imprisonment” to places typically considered the antithesis of prisons highlights the complexity of liberty’s denial, even in seemingly ideal conditions, showing that freedom is a dynamic experience, shaped by context and circumstance. 

Based on their findings, the researchers drew on refugee and displacement social work literature to propose several recommendations: support in such moments must go beyond providing shelter. It should also ensure agency, accessible mental health care, and activities that foster personal coping strategies and strengthen community belonging. Policymakers should rethink emergency housing strategies, especially for long-term displacement. When even a “luxury experience” feels like confinement, it’s clear that comfort alone cannot heal the wounds of war. 

The research paper titled “Understanding the pains experienced by evacuees during war” is now available in the Journal of Social Work and can be accessed here.

Researchers: 

Noy Assaraf and Netanel Dagan 

Institutions: 

Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem