The next day the Italians responded by attacking the population of the neighboring Mechiya oasis, killing thousands of people[citation needed] including women and children[citation needed] over the course of three days. Though the Italians allegedly took measures to prevent news of this action from reaching the outside world[citation needed], foreign press correspondents covered the event in detail.[1][4] This negative coverage factored into the British Parliament's decision later that month to take a more pro-Turkish course, rejecting a proposed Anglo-Italian Mediterranean agreement.[5]