diff --git a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
index b59e21b3..d6f3950f 100644
--- a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
+++ b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const BasicFlow = () => {
         <button onClick={toggleClassnames} style={{ marginRight: 5 }}>
           toggle classnames
         </button>
-        <button onClick={logToObject}>toObject</button>
+        <button onClick={logToObject} style={{ marginRight: 5 }}>toObject</button>
       </div>
     </ReactFlow>
   );
diff --git a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/UseReactFlow/index.tsx b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/UseReactFlow/index.tsx
index 7133cec9..6fca9627 100644
--- a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/UseReactFlow/index.tsx
+++ b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/UseReactFlow/index.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const initialNodes: Node[] = [
 const initialEdges: Edge[] = [
   { id: 'e1-2', source: '1', target: '2', animated: true },
   { id: 'e1-3', source: '1', target: '3' },
+  // { id: 'e3-4', source: '3', target: '4' }
 ];
 
 let id = 5;
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
     addEdges,
     getNodes,
     getEdges,
+    deleteElements
   } = useReactFlow();
 
   const onPaneClick = useCallback(
@@ -111,6 +113,16 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
     console.log('edges', getEdges());
   }, [getNodes, getEdges]);
 
+  const deleteSelectedElements = useCallback(() => {
+    const selectedNodes = nodes.filter(node => node.selected);
+    const selectedEdges = edges.filter(edge => edge.selected);
+    deleteElements({ nodes: selectedNodes, edges: selectedEdges });
+  }, [deleteElements, nodes, edges])
+
+  const deleteSomeElements = useCallback(() => {
+    deleteElements({ nodes: [{ id: '2' }], edges: [{ id: 'e1-3' }] })
+  }, [])
+
   useEffect(() => {
     addEdges({ id: 'e3-4', source: '3', target: '4' });
   }, [addEdges]);
@@ -137,6 +149,8 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
         <button onClick={onAddNode}>add node</button>
         <button onClick={onResetNodes}>reset nodes</button>
         <button onClick={logNodes}>useNodes</button>
+        <button onClick={deleteSelectedElements}>deleteSelectedElements</button>
+        <button onClick={deleteSomeElements}>deleteSomeElements</button>
       </div>
       <Background />
       <MiniMap />
diff --git a/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts b/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts
index 23cb2a7d..f2b206e7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@ import { useEffect } from 'react';
 
 import { useStoreApi } from '../hooks/useStore';
 import useKeyPress from './useKeyPress';
-import { getConnectedEdges } from '../utils/graph';
-import type { KeyCode, NodeChange, Node } from '../types';
-
+import type { KeyCode } from '../types';
+import useReactFlow from './useReactFlow';
 interface HookParams {
   deleteKeyCode: KeyCode | null;
   multiSelectionKeyCode: KeyCode | null;
@@ -12,87 +11,18 @@ interface HookParams {
 
 export default ({ deleteKeyCode, multiSelectionKeyCode }: HookParams): void => {
   const store = useStoreApi();
+  const { deleteElements } = useReactFlow();
+
   const deleteKeyPressed = useKeyPress(deleteKeyCode);
   const multiSelectionKeyPressed = useKeyPress(multiSelectionKeyCode);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!deleteKeyPressed) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const {
-      nodeInternals,
-      edges,
-      hasDefaultNodes,
-      hasDefaultEdges,
-      onNodesDelete,
-      onEdgesDelete,
-      onNodesChange,
-      onEdgesChange,
-    } = store.getState();
-    const nodes = Array.from(nodeInternals.values());
-    const nodesToRemove = nodes.reduce<Node[]>((res, node) => {
-      const parentSelected = !node.selected && node.parentNode && res.find((n) => n.id === node.parentNode);
-      const deletable = typeof node.deletable === 'boolean' ? node.deletable : true;
-      if (deletable && (node.selected || parentSelected)) {
-        res.push(node);
-      }
-
-      return res;
-    }, []);
-    const deletableEdges = edges.filter((e) => (typeof e.deletable === 'boolean' ? e.deletable : true));
-    const selectedEdges = deletableEdges.filter((e) => e.selected);
-
-    if (nodesToRemove || selectedEdges) {
-      const connectedEdges = getConnectedEdges(nodesToRemove, deletableEdges);
-      const edgesToRemove = [...selectedEdges, ...connectedEdges];
-      const edgeIdsToRemove = edgesToRemove.reduce<string[]>((res, edge) => {
-        if (!res.includes(edge.id)) {
-          res.push(edge.id);
-        }
-        return res;
-      }, []);
-
-      if (hasDefaultEdges || hasDefaultNodes) {
-        if (hasDefaultEdges) {
-          store.setState({
-            edges: edges.filter((e) => !edgeIdsToRemove.includes(e.id)),
-          });
-        }
-
-        if (hasDefaultNodes) {
-          nodesToRemove.forEach((node) => {
-            nodeInternals.delete(node.id);
-          });
-
-          store.setState({
-            nodeInternals: new Map(nodeInternals),
-          });
-        }
-      }
-
-      if (edgeIdsToRemove.length > 0) {
-        onEdgesDelete?.(edgesToRemove);
-
-        if (onEdgesChange) {
-          onEdgesChange(
-            edgeIdsToRemove.map((id) => ({
-              id,
-              type: 'remove',
-            }))
-          );
-        }
-      }
-
-      if (nodesToRemove.length > 0) {
-        onNodesDelete?.(nodesToRemove);
-
-        if (onNodesChange) {
-          const nodeChanges: NodeChange[] = nodesToRemove.map((n) => ({ id: n.id, type: 'remove' }));
-          onNodesChange(nodeChanges);
-        }
-      }
-
+    if (deleteKeyPressed) {
+      const { nodeInternals, edges } = store.getState();
+      const nodes = Array.from(nodeInternals.values());
+      const selectedNodes = nodes.filter((node) => node.selected);
+      const selectedEdges = edges.filter((edge) => edge.selected);
+      deleteElements({nodes: selectedNodes, edges: selectedEdges});
       store.setState({ nodesSelectionActive: false });
     }
   }, [deleteKeyPressed]);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts b/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
index 2cba0fae..77415b9b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ import type {
   EdgeResetChange,
   NodeRemoveChange,
   EdgeRemoveChange,
+  NodeChange,
+  Node,
 } from '../types';
+import { getConnectedEdges } from '../utils/graph';
 
 /* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
 export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlowInstance<NodeData, EdgeData> {
@@ -111,6 +114,83 @@ export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlo
     };
   }, []);
 
+  const deleteElements = useCallback<Instance.DeleteElements>(({ nodes: nodesDeleted, edges: edgesDeleted }) => {
+    const {
+      nodeInternals,
+      edges,
+      hasDefaultNodes,
+      hasDefaultEdges,
+      onNodesDelete,
+      onEdgesDelete,
+      onNodesChange,
+      onEdgesChange,
+    } = store.getState();
+    const nodes = Array.from(nodeInternals.values());
+    const nodeIds = (nodesDeleted || []).map((node) => node.id);
+    const edgeIds = (edgesDeleted || []).map((edge) => edge.id);
+    const nodesToRemove = nodes.reduce<Node[]>((res, node) => {
+      const parentHit = !nodeIds.includes(node.id) && node.parentNode && res.find((n) => n.id === node.parentNode);
+      const deletable = typeof node.deletable === 'boolean' ? node.deletable : true;
+      if (deletable && (nodeIds.includes(node.id) || parentHit)) {
+        res.push(node);
+      }
+
+      return res;
+    }, []);
+    const deletableEdges = edges.filter((e) => (typeof e.deletable === 'boolean' ? e.deletable : true));
+    const initialHitEdges = deletableEdges.filter((e) => edgeIds.includes(e.id));
+    if (nodesToRemove || initialHitEdges) {
+      const connectedEdges = getConnectedEdges(nodesToRemove, deletableEdges);
+      const edgesToRemove = [...initialHitEdges, ...connectedEdges];
+      const edgeIdsToRemove = edgesToRemove.reduce<string[]>((res, edge) => {
+        if (!res.includes(edge.id)) {
+          res.push(edge.id);
+        }
+        return res;
+      }, []);
+
+      if (hasDefaultEdges || hasDefaultNodes) {
+        if (hasDefaultEdges) {
+          store.setState({
+            edges: edges.filter((e) => !edgeIdsToRemove.includes(e.id)),
+          });
+        }
+
+        if (hasDefaultNodes) {
+          nodesToRemove.forEach((node) => {
+            nodeInternals.delete(node.id);
+          });
+
+          store.setState({
+            nodeInternals: new Map(nodeInternals),
+          });
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (edgeIdsToRemove.length > 0) {
+        onEdgesDelete?.(edgesToRemove);
+
+        if (onEdgesChange) {
+          onEdgesChange(
+            edgeIdsToRemove.map((id) => ({
+              id,
+              type: 'remove',
+            }))
+          );
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (nodesToRemove.length > 0) {
+        onNodesDelete?.(nodesToRemove);
+
+        if (onNodesChange) {
+          const nodeChanges: NodeChange[] = nodesToRemove.map((n) => ({ id: n.id, type: 'remove' }));
+          onNodesChange(nodeChanges);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }, []);
+
   return useMemo(() => {
     return {
       ...viewportHelper,
@@ -123,6 +203,19 @@ export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlo
       addNodes,
       addEdges,
       toObject,
+      deleteElements,
     };
-  }, [viewportHelper, getNodes, getNode, getEdges, getEdge, setNodes, setEdges, addNodes, addEdges, toObject]);
+  }, [
+    viewportHelper,
+    getNodes,
+    getNode,
+    getEdges,
+    getEdge,
+    setNodes,
+    setEdges,
+    addNodes,
+    addEdges,
+    toObject,
+    deleteElements,
+  ]);
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts b/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
index dab4299e..0c7200d2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ export type ReactFlowJsonObject<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = {
   viewport: Viewport;
 };
 
+export type DeleteElementsOptions = {
+  nodes?: (Partial<Node> & { id: Node['id'] })[],
+  edges?: (Partial<Edge> & { id: Edge['id'] })[]
+};
 export namespace Instance {
   export type GetNodes<NodeData> = () => Node<NodeData>[];
   export type SetNodes<NodeData> = (
@@ -22,6 +26,7 @@ export namespace Instance {
   export type GetEdge<EdgeData> = (id: string) => Edge<EdgeData> | undefined;
   export type AddEdges<EdgeData> = (payload: Edge<EdgeData>[] | Edge<EdgeData>) => void;
   export type ToObject<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = () => ReactFlowJsonObject<NodeData, EdgeData>;
+  export type DeleteElements = ({ nodes, edges }: DeleteElementsOptions) => void;
 }
 
 export type ReactFlowInstance<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = {
@@ -34,5 +39,6 @@ export type ReactFlowInstance<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = {
   addEdges: Instance.AddEdges<EdgeData>;
   getEdge: Instance.GetEdge<EdgeData>;
   toObject: Instance.ToObject<NodeData, EdgeData>;
+  deleteElements: Instance.DeleteElements;
   viewportInitialized: boolean;
 } & Omit<ViewportHelperFunctions, 'initialized'>;