Kristal died at his home in Haifa on August 11, 2017, just 5 weeks before his 114th birthday, and was succeeded as the world's oldest living man by Spaniard Francisco Núñez Olivera (who, however, was not verified until his death on January 29, 2018 at age 113 years, 47 days). Kristal was at the time of his death the 9th oldest man ever and the youngest of only 14 verified living people born before 1904.