diff --git a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
index f3f74dda..c157ce23 100644
--- a/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
+++ b/examples/vite-app/src/examples/Basic/index.tsx
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@ const BasicFlow = () => {
     );
   };
 
-  const deleteElements = () => {
-    instance.deleteSelectedElements()
-  }
-
   return (
     <ReactFlow
       defaultNodes={initialNodes}
@@ -111,7 +107,6 @@ const BasicFlow = () => {
           toggle classnames
         </button>
         <button onClick={logToObject} style={{ marginRight: 5 }}>toObject</button>
-        <button onClick={deleteElements}>delete selected elements</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..87a610b5 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 +65,8 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
     addEdges,
     getNodes,
     getEdges,
+    deleteSelectedElements,
+    deleteElements
   } = useReactFlow();
 
   const onPaneClick = useCallback(
@@ -111,7 +114,22 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
     console.log('edges', getEdges());
   }, [getNodes, getEdges]);
 
+  const deleteSelectedElements1 = useCallback(() => {
+    const selectedNodes = nodes.filter(node => node.selected).map(node => node.id);
+    const selectedEdges = edges.filter(edge => edge.selected).map(edge => edge.id);
+    deleteElements(selectedNodes, selectedEdges);
+  }, [deleteElements, nodes, edges])
+
+  const deleteSelectedElements2 = useCallback(() => {
+    deleteSelectedElements();
+  }, [deleteSelectedElements])
+
+  const deleteSomeElements = useCallback(() => {
+    deleteElements(['2'],['e1-3'])
+  }, [])
+
   useEffect(() => {
+    // called twice in strict mode of development mode
     addEdges({ id: 'e3-4', source: '3', target: '4' });
   }, [addEdges]);
 
@@ -137,6 +155,9 @@ const UseZoomPanHelperFlow = () => {
         <button onClick={onAddNode}>add node</button>
         <button onClick={onResetNodes}>reset nodes</button>
         <button onClick={logNodes}>useNodes</button>
+        <button onClick={deleteSelectedElements1}>deleteSelectedElements1</button>
+        <button onClick={deleteSelectedElements2}>deleteSelectedElements2</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 3d563941..52d918dc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hooks/useGlobalKeyHandler.ts
@@ -12,14 +12,23 @@ interface HookParams {
 
 export default ({ deleteKeyCode, multiSelectionKeyCode }: HookParams): void => {
   const store = useStoreApi();
-  const { deleteSelectedElements } = useReactFlow();
+  const { deleteElements } = useReactFlow();
+  // const { deleteSelectedElements } = useReactFlow();
 
   const deleteKeyPressed = useKeyPress(deleteKeyCode);
   const multiSelectionKeyPressed = useKeyPress(multiSelectionKeyCode);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (deleteKeyPressed) {
-      deleteSelectedElements();
+      const {
+        nodeInternals,
+        edges,
+      } = store.getState();
+      const nodes = Array.from(nodeInternals.values());
+      const nodeIds = nodes.filter(node => node.selected).map(node => node.id);
+      const edgeIds = edges.filter(edge => edge.selected).map(edge => edge.id);
+      deleteElements(nodeIds, edgeIds);
+      store.setState({ nodesSelectionActive: false });
     }
   }, [deleteKeyPressed]);
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts b/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
index 76043a2e..0e1ed6bb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hooks/useReactFlow.ts
@@ -192,6 +192,81 @@ export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlo
     }
   }, []);
 
+  const deleteElements = useCallback<Instance.DeleteElements>((nodeIds, edgeIds) => {
+    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 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,
@@ -205,6 +280,7 @@ export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlo
       addEdges,
       toObject,
       deleteSelectedElements,
+      deleteElements,
     };
   }, [
     viewportHelper,
@@ -218,5 +294,6 @@ export default function useReactFlow<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any>(): ReactFlo
     addEdges,
     toObject,
     deleteSelectedElements,
+    deleteElements,
   ]);
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts b/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
index 058da326..deffc86c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types/instance.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export namespace Instance {
   export type AddEdges<EdgeData> = (payload: Edge<EdgeData>[] | Edge<EdgeData>) => void;
   export type ToObject<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = () => ReactFlowJsonObject<NodeData, EdgeData>;
   export type DeleteSelectedElements = () => void;
+  export type DeleteElements = (nodeIds: string[], edgeIds: string[]) => void
 }
 
 export type ReactFlowInstance<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = {
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ export type ReactFlowInstance<NodeData = any, EdgeData = any> = {
   addEdges: Instance.AddEdges<EdgeData>;
   getEdge: Instance.GetEdge<EdgeData>;
   toObject: Instance.ToObject<NodeData, EdgeData>;
+  deleteElements: Instance.DeleteElements;
   deleteSelectedElements: Instance.DeleteSelectedElements;
   viewportInitialized: boolean;
 } & Omit<ViewportHelperFunctions, 'initialized'>;