"On Sunday, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, told journalists that the Islamist group had captured “dozens” of hostages with American citizenship. If this number is even remotely accurate, the assault would be the largest mass abduction of Americans since the Tehran embassy crisis of 1979.

Hamas has likely divided those hostages across unmapped underground sites throughout Gaza, foreclosing the possibility of a single, swift rescue operation. The hostage issue threatens to inject a future source of divergence into Israeli and American objectives during the crisis.

In a speech at the White House Tuesday, Joe Biden said that he had “no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.” Outgoing House speaker Kevin McCarthy listed “rescue all American hostages” as the U.S.’s top priority in the unfolding war. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that, as of Tuesday, the exact number of American hostages remains unknown.

Israel must now weigh the survival of American hostages against neutralizing active threats against other groups of civilians, and also against the country’s stated war aim of disarming Hamas, which would likely require a massive ground operation in which most, if not all, of the hostages would be killed."

The Gaza Hostage Crisis Is an American Hostage Crisis - The Free Press

As an American, with family stationed abroad, I am concerned that the United States doesn't have their protection in mind while playing geopolitical games. The U.S. Government and Americans have to understand the hostage game has to end. This only occurs when we don't reward terrorists or nation states for taking hostages. If American hostages are not released, unharmed, terrorists must be dealt with in the most harsh manner capable by conventional warfare. There needs to be a high price to pay for such actions against American citizens. Why else do we have such a powerful military?