That is standard operating procedure with any hostage situation. Wear down the hijackers/kidnappers.
You don’t attack them when they are fresh and alert.
And it turns out they had run out of ammo after firing on a launch approaching the lifeboat. Tire them out further after that, get the SEAL team in place, wait until 4 in the morning when persons are least cognizant, and give 'em a wake-up call with a flash-bang.
A good ending, but not good enough for some around here.
So how long do you wait?